Cite The red king crab is the largest species of king crab. But first, a little science. 10:18. Abdomen. Being able to tell your male crabs from your female crabs can come in handy. Crabs belong to a group of animals called arthropods whose skeletal support is provided by a \"shell\" outside their bodies. The biggest among them can reach 20 pounds and measure five feet across, with store-bought legs weighing an average of 6 pounds. Shape The World. The flesh is delicate and deteriorates quickly. Males often have larger claws, a tendency that is particularly pronounced in the fiddler crabs of the genus Uca . Mature female crabs generally molt between May and August, and mating occurs immediately after the female has molted and before the new exoskeleton hardens. In some species of crabs, like the fiddler crab, males will have one claw that is significantly larger than the other. You can secure the claws of larger crabs with rubber bands before you turn them over to tell the gender, but securing the claws may take more time and effort than it does to just catch a glimpse of their undersides. In general, one of the most noticeable differences is the size of the claw. The difference between a female hermit crab, and male hermit crab is a male has one big claw and is really purple, and a female has a big claw too but is smaller and they are red near there claws The majority, if not all, of the male blue crabs have blue-colored claw tips while female crabs have reddish claw tips. It is illegal to harvest and keep immature female crabs. If you turn the crab over you will see a flap or tail known as the abdominal flap. Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts in communication with a concentration in journalism from Berry College in Rome, Ga. The lifespan of the Opilio crabs ranges between 5 to 6 years. There are two ways to identify your crab as being either male or female including claw color and apron shape. Hope that helps. The main difference between a female and a male is the triangle shaped breast plate underneath the crab. Characteristics of snow crabs are their long, thin legs … It has been seen that males have large hearts and lungs when compared to females. Handle your pet crab gently and try not to unnecessarily stress him out as you determine his gender. What is the difference between a snow crab and a king crab? This is the reason that they are very popular and are caught in large quantities. Here's an easy way to tell the difference between a male and female blue crab. The difficulty of determining the gender of a crab can range from quite easy to moderately challenging, depending on the type of crabs you are trying to sex. My family usually buys male crabs so I have limited experience with females vs males but encountered a very heated debate at work today about personal preferences. Be Her Village. Female Crabs: A mature (adult) female blue crab, known as a "Sook," is identified with an inverted "U" or bell-shaped apron and red-tipped claws. The male crab waves it to attract females for mating and also to challenge males to fight. Usually, the male crabs are almost twice the size of the female crabs. Compared to the Bairdi Crabs, Opilio crabs are easier to find. The larger the crab is, the easier it is to determine the gender. Colossal crabs measure 6 1/2 inches or more across. Crabs belong to infraorder Brachyura while lobsters belong to the Nephropidae or Homaridae families. She has served as a newspaper reporter and her freelance articles have appeared in magazines such as "Horses Incorporated," "The Paisley Pony" and "Alabama Living." http://seaking.ca The Differences Between Male & Female Blue Herons. The snow crab is native to the Northwest Atlantic and the North Pacific oceans while many of the king crabs are found in the Southern Hemisphere except for some that are found in the freezing waters of Alaska. Males have blue claws, and, like most humans, female blue crabs "paint their fingernails" (i.e., the tips of their claws are "painted" red!) To begin with, King crabs, that are also called stone crabs, belong to a superfamily of decapod crustaceans that are crab like and are usually found in cold seas. Males are normally heavier, taller and stronger than females. It almost looks like a rocket standing vertically upright or how the Washington monument appears to be. I just wanted to correct one point in your article. And so, if you carefully examine the markings beneath, you will notice that female crabs are those that have a dome-shaped underbelly just like what the top dome of the Whitehouse looks like. The difference between a female hermit crab, and male hermit crab is a male has one big claw and is really purple, and a female has a big claw too but is smaller and they are red near there claws © 2020 WILD SKY MEDIA. She-crabs sport a wide triangle shaped apron, while male crabs’ (aka Jimmies) aprons are narrow, fairly straight up and down with a small triangle at one end, almost like a T. In addition to the claws, there are other (better) ways to determine the gender of a blue crab. The average crab harvested weighs about six pounds, but they can grow much larger. Below are some very simple pictures that show you exactly how to tell the difference between male and female blue crabs just by looking at their apron. Key Difference – Snow Crab vs King Crab Snow crab and king crab are two species of crustaceans and you can notice some difference between them in their physical characteristics. NOT the White House. Salty Reflections 4,731 views. Females have broader tails that are somewhat heart-shaped. On the female it’s shorter and much wider. This species inhabits muddy mangrove lined areas. A snow crab is generally smaller than the king crab. King crab legs are actually shorter than the snow crab’s, and are thicker with a spiky, tough-to-crack shell. Pick up your crab from the rear and gently turn him over. At the same time, the females can attain a weight of half a kilo. What Does the Silver Dollar Turtle Look Like? King Crabs. Being able to tell your male crabs from your female crabs can come in handy. King crabs are caught in Alaskan waters with trawls, traps, and nets. Being able to tell your male crabs from your female crabs can come in handy. Similar Species. "It is all in the way they wear their aprons! At the same time, the females can attain a weight of half a kilo. Captain Ron King of Seaking Adventures Victoria BC shows how to identify male or female crab. Male red king crabs have a narrow abdominal flap whereas female red king crabs have a wide abdominal flap that covers most of the underside of the abdomen. Answer. Males generally have narrow, thin flaps, whilst females have wider, more rounded flaps used to carry and protect eggs. King crab is sold in legs and claws. What, then, is the difference between a crab and a lobster? Abdomen. The snow crab grows slowly and is structured according to its size. "Difference Between Female and Male Crabs." Jumbo crabs measure from 6 to 6 1/2 inches across. Consequently, they are sold as food, whereby the most commonly consumed crab is the … When talking about the physical structure, the first thing that comes to mind is height and weight. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences to look out for so that you can distinguish the sex of the crab you’re eating. Further, the male opilio crabs are twice the size of the female ones. Life cycle and ecology. 0 1 2. Males are attracted to potential mates by pheromones present in the urine of females. A small detail I realize, but, should be accurate nonetheless . It’s very easy to tell the difference at a glance when fishing for them. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. The female common shore crab carries around 180,000 eggs under her abdomen flap. Avoid his claws. In connection to the crab flap, the female crab usually has her eggs tucked in-between her body and her flap. Large are 5 1/2 to 6 inches and medium crabs are 5 to 5 1/2 inches across. Be the first to answer! There’s hardly any taste difference as well. The larger the crab is, the easier it is to determine the gender. • Males are larger and heavier than females. Male vs Female. King crabs are caught in Alaskan waters with trawls, traps, and nets. Boil cleaned halved crabs in salty water for 12 minutes. Answer. 2.Male crabs have a smaller, more triangular, or rocket-shaped underbelly markings compared to the female crabs’ broader or dome-like marking. By contrast, male crabs have triangular or smaller flaps. Red king crabs can reach a carapace width up to 28 cm (11 in), a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and a weight of 12.7 kg (28 lb). Female crabs, however, have red tips on their claws like in the second picture. The larger the crab is, the easier it is to determine the gender. More simply, the bottom of a female crab has a shape like the U.S. Capitol building. Further, the male opilio crabs are twice the size of the female ones. 4.Male blue crabs have blue-colored claw tips while their female counterparts have reddish claw tips. Characteristics of snow crabs are their long, thin legs … 3.A female crab usually appears to have some fertilized eggs tucked in-between its body and flap. After being released by the male, the female crab is referred to as being ‘berried’ as she carries a mass of eggs around with her for months. On the males it’s long and narrow. In physical performance, the difference is typical. What is the difference between male and female king crab? What, then, is the difference between a crab and a lobster? Do not shake him or pull on his legs. Also be sure to avoid getting pinched by his claws. Nonetheless, either one surely tastes great. Small crabs measure 4 1/2 to 5 inches across and are usually mature females, called "sooks." Male carapaces are usually about 7 cm (2.8 in) in width and length, with the female carapace usually close to 5.5 … Female fiddler crabs that are ready to mate are the ones that choose male crabs to mate with, walking by many claw-waving males before selecting one for mating. Be the first to answer! There are many varieties, but the most commonly eaten in the UK is the common edible, or brown, crab. Body size could be considered as the main external difference between them, but there are many other significant variations in lice from crabs. Compared to the Bairdi Crabs, Opilio crabs are easier to find. In summary, the most important differences between male and female crabs could be laid out as follows. In the case of hermit crabs, you may have difficulty telling the gender because many hermit crabs will not come far enough out of the shell for you to identify gender markings. Size is the most obvious difference between the two crab types, with king crabs being the larger specimen. Research Reveals Important Differences between Male and Female Kidneys. The underbelly of the female crab resembles THE CAPITAL BUILDING . For sure, they can’t tell which one is male and which isn’t. Physically and mentally, the males and females are different. King crab is sold in legs and claws. Female hermit crabs have two small spots called gonopores that will be visible when you look at the top of your hermit crab's back walking legs. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Asked by Wiki User. The flavour of the crab is another area where the two differ. Males grow larger than females. My family usually buys male crabs so I have limited experience with females vs males but encountered a very heated debate at work today about personal preferences. King crabs are divided by region and species, being 3 different types of crabs- red, blue and brown, and whether their caught in the Bering Sea or other Atlantic Alaskan waters. Red king crabs can reach a carapace width up to 28 cm (11 in), a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and a weight of 12.7 kg (28 lb). Male crabs, also known as "jimmies" come in four sizes. However, this does not apply to the Opilio crab. The red tips, of course, blend in with the overall color of the crab once it has been cooked, or steamed. Crabs belong to infraorder Brachyura while lobsters belong to the Nephropidae or Homaridae families. At least 11 stages of growth for male crabs are recognized. This area, sometimes called the crab’s tail, flap, or abdomen, is a good defining characteristic for discovering the crab’s sex. It is easy to tell the difference between female and male crabs. The main difference between a female and a male is the triangle shaped breast plate underneath the crab. I am a crab fanatic and living in Baltimore crabs are everywhere. 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