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What kinds of king crab are there? Alaskan King Crabs live in the Bering Sea, between St. Lawrence and Aleutian Islands. There are eight king crab legs and two claws on each crab. One claw is much bigger than the other. Eight king crab legs are used for business, but only six are sold. The back two legs are very small. Male and female crabs both use those two smaller legs to fertilize eggs. They are tucked under the back of the crab. The large claw is called the dominant claw and the smaller is called the lesser claw. Over 90% of Alaska’s annual king crab harvest is made up of red crabs. The other types are brown/golden crabs and blue crabs.
Ever hear of a fake king crab? It’s called Centolla Crab, and it’s caught in South America. It’s much smaller than a real king crab, and it doesn’t taste as good. The United States does not allow this crab to be called a king crab. Outside of the US, it is known as an Antarctic, South American, Southern, or Chilean King Crab. Southern King Crab is caught in Peru, Chile and Argentina. These Antarctic crabs live on the Antarctic Continental Shelf, which is where the shallow water and deep water meet. These crabs live at approximately 500 ft deep. In addition to being smaller and less flavorful, the crab are extremely spiny.
When are king crab caught? The Alaskan King Crab season extends during the fall/winter months. In the winter, king crabs move to shallower waters to mate. During the summer, they can live up to 600 feet deep. Males are the only ones that are caught, and they have to meet certain size requirements all season long in order to be kept. There are about 90 boats in the Alaskan King Crab fishing fleet. Each boat has an IFQ, or individual fishing quota, that is based on how many crabs it caught the previous year. Around 2005, the quota system was made to try to raise the value of Alaskan King Crab and make the crab fishing business safer. The idea was that if ships knew ahead of time how much crab they were going to get, they wouldn’t be in such a hurry to catch it. This would make it safer for everyone.
How are king crab caught? They are caught in big pots that are pulled up by a hydraulic or winch system. Each pot is very heavy weighing in around 700 lbs. The pots are baited with dead fish, typically cod or herring, and are marked with a buoy. The pots are then dropped to the bottom. Usually, the pots are soaked in water for 24 to 48 hours before they are retrieved. This gives the crab time to smell the bait, find the pots, and crawl into the trap to be caught. If the pots are plentiful when pulled up, they will typically be rebaited and dropped again. If not, the captain will select another spot to drop his traps. With pots that are pulled from up to 600 feet deep and weighing around 700 pounds, rough seas, and bad weather, it’s easy to see why king crab fishing is so dangerous and why king crab is thought to be the best seafood in Alaska.
Super Colossal King Crab Legs® range in size from 9/10 lb – 1. 25 lbs per leg. Colossal King Crab Legs® range in size from 2/3 lb – 9/10 lb per leg. Captains select king crab ranges from 1/2 lb – 2/3 lb per leg. Giant king crab legs ranges from 1/3 – 1/2 per leg. Merus Cuts are the rich, sweet tenderloin of the king crab and typically weigh around 4-6 ounces each. We also sell king crab pieces, crab cakes, and Dominant King Crab Claws, which weigh about half a pound each. If King Crab is going to be the main entree, we recommend getting 1-2 lbs per person.
Crabs come in an enormous range of sizes, from tiny pea crabs to giant king crabs with leg spans over 5 feet wide With such a variety of crab species, the weight can range dramatically – from a few ounces for small crabs up to 25 pounds for monster crabs!
When buying fresh crab to cook at home or enjoying crab legs at a seafood restaurant, you may wonder about the typical weight to expect. Here is a guide to the weights of popular crab varieties to give you a better sense of just how much a crab can weigh.
Average Weight of Common Crab Species
Here are the usual weights for the most popular types of crab
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Blue crab – 05 to 1 pound
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Dungeness crab – 1.5 to 3 pounds
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King crab – 3 to 10 pounds per crab
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Snow crab – 1.5 to 3.5 pounds
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Stone crab – 2 to 3 pounds
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Soft-shell crab – 0.25 to 0.5 pound
These are general averages, but sizes can vary substantially depending on the crab’s sex, age, habitat, season, and other factors. For instance, a colossal male king crab can weigh over 15 pounds!
Weight Ranges for Different Crab Types
To give a better idea of the potential size variability, here are typical weight ranges for popular crab species:
Blue Crab
- Male: 0.5 – 1.5 pounds
- Female: 0.5 – 1 pound
- Jumbo: Over 1 pound
Dungeness Crab
- Male: 2 – 3.5 pounds
- Female: 1.5 – 3 pounds
- Jumbo: Over 3 pounds
King Crab
- Male: 6 – 10 pounds
- Female: 3 – 6 pounds
- Colossal: Over 10 pounds
Snow Crab
- Male: 1.5 – 3 pounds
- Female: 1 – 2 pounds
- Jumbo: Over 3 pounds
Stone Crab
- Male claws: 4 – 8 ounces each
- Female claws: 2 – 5 ounces each
As you can see, there can be a wide spectrum of weights even within the same species based on factors like sex, age, and season. The largest crabs tend to be older mature males.
Average Weight of Crab Sections
Since crabs are often sold in pieces rather than whole, here are the typical weights for different crab sections:
- Crab legs – 0.5 to 2 pounds per leg
- Crab claws – 4 to 8 ounces each
- Lump crabmeat – Varies greatly by amount
- Backfin crabmeat – Varies greatly by amount
The weight of meat will depend on how much is being sold, as it is usually portioned in containers rather than sold by the pound.
For whole cooked crabs, the edible meat weight is around 25-30% of the total crab weight. So a 2 pound crab will yield approximately 0.5 pound of meat.
Factors Affecting Crab Weight
Many elements contribute to a crab’s overall heft:
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Species – Some are naturally larger like king crab vs smaller like rock crab.
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Sex – Male crabs tend to be larger than females of the same species.
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Age – Older, mature crabs are heavier than young juvenile crabs.
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Diet – Better food availability helps crabs grow bigger.
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Season – Crab weight fluctuates through molting and reproductive cycles.
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Location – Certain areas produce larger crabs due to habitat conditions.
So crab weight can vary substantially based on nature and nurture factors. The largest crabs tend to be old, well-fed, male crabs living in prime crab habitats.
Average Weight Loss After Cooking
Cooking crabs leads to significant weight loss as water loss accounts for around 30% of the original weight.
Here are some examples of typical cooked weights compared to live weight:
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A 2 pound live Dungeness crab weighs around 1.4 pounds after cooking.
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An 8 pound live king crab weighs approximately 5.5 to 6 pounds cooked.
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A 1 pound live blue crab weighs about 0.7 pounds following steaming.
Keep this cook-off weight loss in mind when purchasing crabs to end up with the final cooked portion size you desire.
Estimating Portions From Crab Weight
To estimate how many servings you can get from a crab based on the weight:
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Small crabs (under 1.5 pounds): 1-2 servings
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Medium crabs (1.5-3 pounds): 2-3 servings
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Large crabs (over 3 pounds): 3-4 servings
These are very general guidelines that can vary based on how much meat you remove and your desired portion sizes.
For crab legs, claws, and sections, estimate approximately 0.25 to 0.5 pound of crab meat per serving as a rough starting point.
Typical Sizing Names for Different Crab Weights
Seafood retailers and restaurants may use specific terms to describe crab sizes based on their weight:
Dungeness Crab
- Jumbo: Over 3 pounds
- Large: 2.5-3 pounds
- Medium: 2-2.5 pounds
- Small: 1.5-2 pounds
King Crab
- Colossal: Over 10 pounds
- Super colossal: Over 8 pounds
- Giant: 6-8 pounds
- Large: 4-6 pounds
- Medium: 3-4 pounds
Snow Crab
- Jumbo: Over 3.5 pounds
- Large: 3-3.5 pounds
- Medium: 2-3 pounds
- Small: Under 2 pounds
The terminology can vary but generally follows this ranking of size descriptions based on weight.
How Much Crab to Buy
When shopping for crab, consider how many people you are serving along with their appetite levels. Larger crabs yield more meat but small crabs can provide a good individual meal. Crab legs, clusters, and meat purchases will list the actual weight.
To be safe, err on the heavier side to end up with ample portions for your party. Leftover crab also makes excellent dishes like crab salad, crab cakes, or seafood pasta. Don’t be afraid to think big when buying crab since the meat freezes well for future crab feasts!
From petite rock crabs to mammoth king crabs, crab weights span a huge spectrum depending on the species, sex, age, season, habitat, and other factors. While crab sizes vary immensely in nature, you can expect average weights of around 0.5 to 3 pounds for common crabs like blue, Dungeness, and snow crab. King crabs reign as the heavyweights, typically weighing 6 to 10 pounds each. Use these crab weight ranges as a guide when purchasing fresh crab or enjoying crab legs and sections at restaurants. Think about your serving needs, and size up your crab options accordingly for a satisfying crab dinner!
Alaskan King Crab. How Much Meat is in One Pound? What is the Yield? JUMBO KING CRAB
How much does a king crab weigh?
The average weight of a king crab is 6 to 10 pounds, but some king crab can grow to more than 20 pounds with a leg span of 6 feet across. Though many of those king crabs close to 20 pounds were caught in the early 80s prior to the crash of the Bristol Bay fishery. In order to increase in size, king crabs must “molt” their shell.
What is the largest king crab?
The red king crab is the largest species of king crab. Red king crabs can reach a carapace width up to 28 cm (11 in), a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and a weight of 12.7 kg (28 lb). Males grow larger than females.
How big do red king crabs get?
Red king crabs can reach a carapace width up to 28 cm (11 in), a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and a weight of 12.7 kg (28 lb). Males grow larger than females. Today, red king crabs infrequently surpass 17 cm (7 in) in carapace width and the average male landed in the Bering Sea weighs 2.9 kg (6.4 lb).
How much does a bushel of crabs weigh?
Typically, a bushel of #1 crabs will contain about 60 – 70 crabs (enough to feed about 10 – 12 people). Seafood dealers often estimate the weight of 1 bushel of crabs at approximately 40 pounds; each wooden bushel basket of crabs with lid weighs approximately 45 pounds each. In Maryland, a container known as a “lug” is popular for storing crabs.