Snow Crab
There are seven species of Snow Crab (Chionoecetes) generally called Tanner Crab and Opilio.
My wife, Connie, and I think Snow Crab tastes just like King Crab which we both like.
The Snow Crabs range in the Arctic Ocean from Newfoundland to Greenland and in the northern Atlantic near Norway. They also range in the Pacific Ocean from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska and are found off the coast of Japan.
Size: The female Snow Crab attains a length of slightly over three inches across the carapace. The males are over twice that size.
Mating: The first stage of reproduction is when the male and female snow crabs mate. After they mate than the female will carry around the eggs for about one year until they hatch into free swimming larvae. The larvae drift with the currents and tides until finally they settle to the ocean bottom. Once there they molt into a miniature version of the adult crab. The crabs continue to molt and grow for several years until they are sexually mature. Females are also able to store extra sperm in small pouches inside their bodies. They can use the extra sperm to fertilize later eggs without mating. Females can produce up to several hundreds of thousands of eggs per year. I have read that Snow Crab can live as long as seventeen years.
Sustainability
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and
businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Their recommendations indicate which
seafood items are "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives," and which ones you should
"Avoid." Snow Crab has received their "Good Alternatives" rating.
The MSC's fishery certification program and seafood ecolabel recognise and reward sustainable fishing. They are a global organisation working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. Marine Stewardship Council.
The MSC's fishery certification program and seafood ecolabel recognise and reward sustainable fishing. They are a global organisation working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. Marine Stewardship Council.
Marine Stewardship Council
Certified as sustainable on December 1st 2010.The MSC's fishery certification program and seafood ecolabel recognise and reward sustainable fishing. They are a global organisation working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood.
The National Atmospheric Administration reports that the Snow Crab is rebuilding and harvested at a sustainable rate.
Catch
In the 1980s the catch of Snow Crab by U.S. Fisheries from the Bering Sea was 150,000 tons. In 2010 that number was reduced to about 22,000 tons.