Crab

Short-tailed decapod crustaceans valued worldwide for sweet, delicate, white meat. Major commercial species include blue crab (*Callinectes sapidus*, Chesapeake Bay), Dungeness (*Metacarcinus magister*, Pacific), Alaskan king, snow, stone, and soft-shell (blue crabs post-molt). Star of Maryland crab cakes, Singaporean chili crab, Japanese kani, and San Francisco cioppino. Sold live, fresh-cooked, pasteurized, or frozen. Hand-pick meat to remove shell fragments — essential for any crab cake.