Stone Crab

Two stone crab species are found in Florida. They are closely related, readily interbreed, and are managed as one species by the fishing industry. Florida stone crabs (Menippe Mercenaria) are found from west central Florida around the peninsula to east central Florida and North Carolina. Gulf stone crabs (Menippe Adina) are found from northwest Florida around the Gulf of Mexico to the state of Tamaulipus, Mexico. An extensive hybrid zone occurs from the big bend area of Florida to west central Florida, and a smaller hybrid zone occurs from east central Florida through South Carolina. A hybrid zone is where the range of the two interbreeding species meets.

Stone crabs prefer the bottoms of bays, grass flats, oyster reefs, and rock jetties where they can burrow or find refuge from predators. Juveniles do not usually dig burrows, but instead hide among rocks or in sea grass beds. It is dark brownish-red with gray interspersed. The claws are hinged, very dark, and banded with red and yellow. Adult Stone crabs make burrows in mud or sand below the low tide line, lying in wait for prey. Stone crabs prefer to feed on oysters and other small mollusks, polychaetes worms, and other crustaceans. They will also occasionally eat sea grass and carrion. Predators that feed on stone crabs include horse conch, grouper, sea turtles, cobia, octopuses, and humans.

Sexual maturity is reached at one year. Their long spawning season lasts all spring and summer, during which time females produce 500,000 to 1 million eggs. The larvae go through six stages in about 36 days before emerging as juvenile crabs. Their lifespan is seven to eight years. The male Stone crab must wait for the female to molt her exoskeleton before they can mate. After mating, the male will stay to help protect the female for several hours to several days. The female will spawn four to six times each season.

The Stone crab loses its limbs easily to escape from predators or tight spaces, but their limbs will grow back. When a claw is broken in the right place, the wound will quickly heal itself and very little blood is lost. If, however, the claw is broken in the wrong place, more blood is lost and the crab's chances of survival are much lower. It only takes about one year for the claw to grow back to its normal size. Each time the crab molts, the new claw grows larger.

The Stone crab is usually fished near jetties, oyster reefs or other rocky areas, just as for blue crabs. Florida law forbids the taking of whole stone crabs. Harvesting is accomplished by removing one claw from the live animal and returning it to the ocean where it can regenerate the lost limb. Both claws of a stone crab may be harvested lawfully if they are of legal size. Although it is currently lawful to harvest both of a stone crab's claws this practice leaves the stone crab with few alternatives to defend itself from predators. Although the crab can still obtain minimal amounts of food with no claws, having one claw (if the other one is harvested) will enable the crab to obtain greater amounts of food in a shorter amount of time. Egg bearing females are not allowed to be declawed. To be kept, claws must be 2.75 inches long, measured from the tips of the immovable finger to the first joint. Florida stone crabs are legal for harvest from October 15 until May 15. During the 1960s, the species was almost exterminated by over-fishing, but an eight-year moratorium was imposed and the population was restored.

Known for its firm texture and sweet-tasting meat, Stone crab claws are delicious unseasoned, with melted butter or your favorite sauce. Don’t forget there is plenty of delicious meat in the knuckle of the claw.

 

© 2009-2011 Ozzie's Crabhouse LLC