Top 10 famous species of brown crab

The bread crab is a common and delicious crab, named after its bread-like appearance. Its meat is tender and juicy, with rich fat, rich taste and chewy texture. In biological classification, both yellow crab and steamed crab belong to the category of bread crab. So, what are the types of bread crabs? Common ones include Xiaoyao steamed crab, common yellow crab, chief yellow crab, rolled steamed crab, rooster steamed crab, goat steamed crab, shield steamed crab, liver leaf steamed crab, humpback yellow crab and Pacific yellow crab. Next, we have compiled the top ten delicious bread crabs for you. Come and take a look at the classification and related information of bread crabs!

1. Xiaoyao Mantou Crab

Eye socket ring spots/round spots on the claws, distributed in the tropical waters of the East Indies and the West Pacific

Xiaoyao Mantou Crab, also known as Eye Spot Mantou Crab, is one of the most common species of brown crab. It is widely distributed in the tropical waters of the East Indies and the West Pacific, mainly including North Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Mergui Archipelago, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian in mainland China, and usually inhabits the sandy muddy bottom waters from the intertidal zone to a depth of 150 meters.

The carapace of the Eye Spot Mantou Crab is about 51.5 mm long and 77 mm wide. The surface of the carapace is smooth, and the rear and side edges each have 15 triangular sharp spines. Its eye sockets have purple-red ring spots, and there is a purple-red round spot on the outside of the claws and wrists. Although the shell is hard and the meat is small, its meat is very tender and popular.

2. Common yellow crab

Reddish brown carapace/black knuckles, distributed in the North Sea/Mediterranean Sea

Common yellow crab belongs to the family of crabs, the genus of crabs, and is one of the ten major brown crabs. Its carapace is reddish brown, while the young crabs are purple-brown, sometimes with white spots on the surface, the knuckles of the crab are black, and there are bristles on the walking legs. Usually, female crabs are generally larger than male crabs, and female crabs are generally sold on the market.

Common yellow crabs are mainly distributed in the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, with a habitat range from Norway in the north to North Africa in the south. In order to protect the health of the population, the UK prohibits the fishing of crabs that are too small, requiring at least 11.5 cm. In Norway, areas north of Rogaland County can only catch crabs over 13 cm, while areas south of it require at least 11 cm.

3. Chief Yellow Crab

White tip/serrated knuckles, distributed in the United States/Canada

Chief Yellow Crab is a delicious crab, also known as a treasure crab due to its large size. In addition, due to policy regulations that only male crabs can be caught, it is also called a prince crab. The chief crab is mainly produced in North America, of which 70% comes from Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska. It can also be caught all year round in British Columbia, Canada.

The chief crab can reach a diameter of 25 cm and an average weight of about 700 grams. The color of the carapace is reddish brown or purple, the fingertips are white, and the outer edge of the tentacles is serrated. The meat yield is as high as 24%, and it tastes delicious. It is an important commercial crab along the northeastern Pacific coast.

4. Rolled mantou crab

The shell is smooth/with spots and stripes, distributed in Tokyo Bay/Indian Ocean

The rolled mantou crab is a common type of brown crab, belonging to the mantou crab genus of the mantou crab family. Its shell is about 10 cm wide, with a bulging carapace in the shape of a steamed bun, a smooth surface, and brown-red spots of varying sizes. Its front edge is serrated, and the rear edge has 4 sharp spines of varying sizes, with brown-red tiger stripes between the spines. There are 3 to 7 wide sharp spines on the rear edge, and 6 to 7 spines on the back edge of the claw.

The folded steamed bun crab is mainly distributed in the south of Tokyo Bay and the Indian Ocean, such as Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan Island and Hainan Island in my country. They usually live in sandy bottoms at a depth of 30 to 100 meters. They have tender meat, extremely delicious taste, and high nutritional value.

5. Cock Mantou Crab

Distribution along the Atlantic coast

Cock Mantou Crab is a common crab of Mantou Crab, widely distributed along the Atlantic coast. This crab is mainly distributed in Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and my country's Xisha Islands. It usually lives in coral reefs or sandy bottom areas with a depth of 20-100 meters and has strong adaptability.

The cephalothorax of the Cock Mantou Crab is narrow in front and wide in the back. The front half of its surface has tooth-like protrusions, while the back half has a scaly structure and a protruding forehead. Its chelipeds are asymmetrical, with short hairs on the edges, and its walking legs are smooth and short. The abdomen of both sexes is narrow and strip-shaped, the tail section is a long triangle, and the length of the cephalothorax is about 42 mm and the width is 55 mm.

6. Goat Mantou Crab

Distribution in China/Japan/Australia

The goat mantou crab is named because its claws are shaped like goat horns. It is a popular variety of brown crab. Its cephalothorax has obvious ridges on the back, distinct partitioning characteristics, and short hairs on the edge and inner side of the cheek area near the base of the claws. Its claws are asymmetrical and sturdy, and most of the outer side of the long section is smooth, with a ring-shaped hairy ridge near the end. The first pair of walking legs is longer, and the following walking legs become shorter and smoother in turn. All walking legs are hidden under the shield.

According to the data, goat crabs are mainly distributed in the East China Sea and the South China Sea in China, and can be found in Japan, Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia internationally. They usually live in shallow waters with a depth range of 15 to 119 meters, and the bottom is mainly coarse sand, pebbles or rock bottom.

7. Shield-shaped crab

Distributed in Korea/Southeast Asia/Australia

Which kind of crab is the most delicious? Shield-shaped crab is considered to be a crab with excellent taste. Fresh shield-shaped crab is very suitable for steaming. After steaming, it is eaten with sauce and has an excellent taste.

The back of this crab is bulging with five obvious longitudinal protrusions, of which the three in the middle are more obvious than those on the sides. When the two large claws are closed, there will be a large space in the middle, while the small claws are completely closed without leaving any gaps, and there are small teeth on the inner edge.

Shield-shaped mantou crabs are widely distributed and are commonly found in the waters of South Korea, Australia and Southeast Asia. In China, they are mainly concentrated in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and the Nansha Islands.

8. Liver leaf mantou crabs

Distributed in the southeast coast of Africa/Arabian Gulf

Liver leaf mantou crabs are famous for their delicious meat and high ecological value, and play an important role in controlling the number of shellfish. It is mainly distributed in the southeast coast of Africa, the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, and also has important production areas in Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines. This crab lives in the sandy or shell bottom from the intertidal zone to a depth of 100 meters.

The carapace of the liver leaf mantou crab is about 40 mm long and 67 mm wide. The inside is smooth and the back is covered with fine particles. Its chelae are thick and asymmetrical, with the chelae on the right significantly larger. The rear edge of the long segment is densely covered with short hairs, and the end protrudes outward. The shape is leaf-shaped, and the wrist segment is an inverted triangle.

9. Lump-backed zodiac crab

Distribution in North Korea/Japan/China

Lump-backed zodiac crab belongs to the genus Lump-backed crab of the family Lump-backed crab. It is mainly distributed in North Korea, Japan, and the Liaodong Peninsula of mainland China. They usually live in muddy and sandy bottoms at a depth of 30 to 100 meters or in seabed environments mixed with shells and sand.

The carapace of the humpback crab is 19 mm long and 21 mm wide, in a rounded diamond shape, with distinct features in each area, and the raised parts of the surface are covered with fine particles. Its forehead is relatively narrow, the middle part is more prominent, and the two sides are triangular. There are fine spines and soft hairs on the wrist and palm of the chelicerae. The fine spines on the outside of the palm are arranged in vertical rows, and the phalanges of the walking legs are slender and longer than the front joints.

10. Pacific crab

Distributed along the Pacific coast of North America

The Pacific crab is a well-known species of brown crab, mainly distributed in the intertidal waters along the Pacific coast of North America. The main production areas include San Francisco, California and Washington in the United States. They live in shallow waters, up to 100 meters deep.

The Pacific crab can reach a carapace width of up to 155 mm, while the maximum width of female crabs does not exceed 145 mm. Its carapace is widest at one-eighth of the way, and the overall body is sturdy. The carapace is usually dark red or brown, sometimes orange or gray, and the ventral side is white with red spots. Their claws are strong and black, and their legs are almost always covered with fine hair when walking.

The top ten rankings of brown crabs are mainly based on the characteristics and qualities of common brown crabs, and also refer to public popularity and other related Internet rankings. This list is intended to provide you with comprehensive recommendations for reference only. If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss in the comment section.

animal tags： brown-crab