Stone crabs are found in Atlantic waters along the southern coast of the US, with Florida harvesting the most annually. They are small with large claws and are environmentally friendly to harvest as only one claw is taken per crab, allowing it to regrow. The meat is delicious and filling, and US-harvested stone crab is encouraged by marine welfare organizations.
The stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) is a type of crab found in Atlantic waters along the southern coast of the United States, ranging from South Carolina to Florida. Florida is the state that harvests the most stone crab annually and is viewed as a uniquely Florida delicacy. Out of season, stone crab can be difficult to obtain because it is highly prized for its rich flavor and the conservation-friendly harvesting practices used to harvest the delicious meat.
In nature, a stone crab resembles a rock, a camouflage technique. Stone crabs are relatively small, with a shell measuring about 3 1/2 inches (9 centimeters) in diameter and two disproportionately large claws. The stone crab has a brownish color on top, with specks of other color below, and the large claws have distinctive black tips. Like other crabs, stone crabs prefer to live in sheltered areas such as protective jetties, coves, and cliffs, and adult stone crabs will dig a small burrow for further hiding from predators.
The stone crab can be eaten like other species such as the Dungeness. The meat is delicious steamed and served hot or cold with a buttery sauce or mustard. Stone crab can also be used in crab cakes, pasta dishes, cioppino and other seafood dishes. The rich meat is very filling—most people are more than happy with a three-claw serving, which yields about one pound (453 grams) of meat. Stone crab is usually found cooked and frozen, and even when fresh, the meat will still be cooked to prevent it from sticking to the shell while it is refrigerated for sale.
US-harvested stone crab is seen as a very environmentally sound seafood choice, because fishermen don’t actually harvest the whole stone crab. Stone crabs are able to shed and regrow their claws up to four times in their lifetime. Fishermen exploit this unique trait to harvest a single claw per crab and then release it back into the wild. The crab is able to defend itself and scavenge food with its remaining claw while the replacement grows, a process that takes about a year. There are minimum size limits set by law, and anglers are not allowed to take claws from females with eggs.
Thanks to this conservation-oriented harvesting technique, many marine welfare organizations are encouraging consumers to eat US-harvested stone crab. Other nations, like Mexico, don’t have such strict harvest rules in place. The amount of time and labor that goes into harvesting is reflected in the price, but most consumers agree that the flavor is worth it. Those who disagree can pursue stone crab on their own, as long as they fish in season and follow state harvest limit laws.
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