Stout-bodied crab with massive claws. Major commercial fishery; claws regenerate after harvest, allowing sustainable fishing.

Also called: Stone Crab

Native status: Native; sustainably-managed claw-only fishery

§ Quick facts

SizeCarapace 7–13 cm (3–5 in); claws can reach 30 cm
Weight100–800 g
LifespanWild 7–10 years
OrderDecapoda
FamilyMenippidae

§ Encyclopedia

The Florida stone crab is a crab found in the western North Atlantic, from Connecticut to Colombia, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the East Coast of the United States. The crab can also be found in and around the salt marshes of South Carolina and Georgia. The closely related species Menippe adina, the gulf stone crab, is sometimes considered a subspecies as they can interbreed to form hybrids, and they are treated as one species for commercial fishing, with their ranges partly overlapping. The two species are believed to have diverged approximately 3 million years ago. The species is widely caught for food.

Source: Wikipedia — Florida stone crab Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Stocky hard-shelled crab with one larger "crusher" claw and one smaller "pincher"; brown-purple body; black-tipped claws with cream interiors.

Similar species. Florida Stone Crab (subspecies; range edge). Blue Crab (swimming paddles, different shape). Mud crabs (much smaller).

Voice. N/A

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Oysters, clams, mussels (crushes shells with massive claws); also fish, snails, marine worms.

Behavior. Atlantic populations of stone crab, found from Connecticut south to the Yucatán. Atlantic-coast harvest is much smaller than Florida fishery but uses the same "remove one claw, return crab to water" practice. Crabs can regenerate claws over 12–18 months, though mortality from claw removal is estimated at 25–40%.

§ Range

Atlantic coast from VA to Florida

§ Habitat

Coastal waters

§ Threats

Habitat loss, overharvesting.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the atlantic stone crab is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Buy MSC-certified stone crab.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • NOAA Fisheries
  • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission