Crab Information
The brown crab (also known as the common and edible crab) inhabits North Western Europe, principally around the rocky shores of the British Isles and Southern Ireland. They are caught at depths of up to 100m, with the larger crab being caught offshore; smaller individuals are often found in pools and under rocks on the foreshore. The crab are caught in ‘Pots’ (Creels or Traps) of very similar design to those used to catch lobsters and are often tied together in lines of ten, called fleets, which assists the fisherman when it comes to hauling them in. We predominately use the male or cock crab as they are larger in size and have a better quality and return of meat, with the average size being 2-3lb. We stock larger crab caught off Guernsey and also the Orkney Islands, where they can grow in excess of 8lb. These massive creatures will often be more than 20 years old, though their growth rate is dependant on the availability of food and water temperature.
There are still large numbers of brown crab in the waters surrounding the British Isles so despite the fishing practices that have resulted in this being one of the most commercially important species of crab in the World, the stocks are still looking healthy. It is illegal to land female crab with eggs and there are minimum shell width regulations on catches, which differ according to the area of coastline being fished, both factors contributing to conserving the crab populations.
Brown crab are very sensitive to external stresses once they have been caught and removed from their deep, dark environment, where the pressures are great. If out of water during a thunderstorm, the atmospheric pressure changes that have caused the storms will actually kill these sensitive crab.
| Nutrients | Per 100g |
| Energy (kcal) | 128.0 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g |
| Fat | 5.5 g |
| Magnesium | 58.0 mg |
| Selenium | 84.0 ug |
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