Dungeness Crab Animal Information
Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister) - In the early morning hours with the sun still below the horizon, you launch your skiff into the frigid, choppy waters. Navigating in the shadows of the morning sun, you check your gps and find your secret crabbing spot. Quickly you bait your crab pots and throw them over the side of the boat. Watching as the pot disappears beneath the salty waves, you anticipate your delectable prize when you return. Dungeness crabs were first commercially harvested in Dungeness, Washington in 1848. Hence their name, Dungeness crab. One of the meatiest and the sweetest of all crabs, they are the most commercially important crab in the Pacific Northwest. If it becomes threatened, the Dungeness crab can bury itself into the sand. When the crab decides to fight, it confronts the enemy on its back legs. While the front of the crab is raised up, the claws are held up high and wide. Their diet consists of clams, other crustaceans, and small fish. Their shell has a purple-tinge to the grayish-brown back with white tipped claws. Cooking brings out the bright orange color that they are famous for. Some crabs may live over ten years and grow over ten inches. Their average weight is around 2 to 3 pounds.
