Today, stone crab season officially opens and runs through May 15. We have assembled some trivia you may find useful around the dinner table, at a bar with friends, or if you ever end up on a quiz show. Enjoy.
10. Stone crabs are found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts but are commercially harvested almost entirely in Florida. [FoodReference]
9. Stone crabs are a good, low-fat source of protein, vitamin 6, selenium and magnesium. [NOOA]
8. All of the stone crab claws on the market come from wild fisheries; there is no aquaculture for stone crab claws. [NOOA]
7. The only significant predator of adult stone crabs is the octopus and
human beings. Juvenile stone crabs can be eaten by carnivorous fish
such as groupers and snappers. [Wikipedia]
6. The stone crab fishery is unique because only the claws are harvested; the crab is released back into the water and can grow new claws if it survives the declawing process. [Wikipedia]
5. Stone Crab (Menippe Mercenaria) Menippe - Greek, meaning force or courage. Mercinaria - Latin, something of value. [Joe's]
4. Predators that feed on stone crabs include horse conch, grouper, sea turtles, cobia, octopi, and humans. [TexasParks&Wildlife]
3. The main two types of stone crab are the Gulf stone crab and the Florida stone crab. Interbreeding has caused a hybrid type of the two. In the fishing industry, all are caught and sold interchangeably for distribution to restaurants and other places as a food source. [EHow]
2. Stone crabs can lose their claws and then grow them back. New claws take one year to fully regenerate. The largest claw is called a crusher claw. The smaller one is the pincher claw. Stone crabs are considered right-clawed or left-clawed depending on which side their crusher claw is on. [EHow]
1. The probability of surviving the declawing process and living to grow new claws is doubled if only one claw is taken. [Wikipedia]
