King crab

Taxobox
name = King crabs

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image_width = 220px
image_caption = "Paralithodes californiensis"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Crustacea
classis = Malacostraca
ordo = Decapoda
infraordo = Anomura
superfamilia = Paguroidea
familia = Lithodidae
familia_authority = Samouelle, 1819
subdivision_ranks = Genera [cite journal | quotes=no |author=McLaughlin, P. A. |year=2003 |url=http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/memoirs/docs/60_1_McLaughlin.pdf |title=Illustrated keys to families and genera of the superfamily Paguroidea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), with diagnoses of genera of Paguridae |journal=Memoirs of Museum Victoria |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=111–144 |format=dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=intitle%3AIllustrated+keys+to+families+and+genera+of+the+superfamily+Paguroidea+%28Crustacea%3A+Decapoda%3A+Anomura%29%2C+with+diagnoses+of+genera+of+Paguridae&as_publication=Memoirs+of+Museum+Victoria&as_ylo=2003&as_yhi=2003&btnG=Search Scholar search]} ]
subdivision = "Acantholithodes"
"Cryptolithodes"
"Dermaturus"
"Glyptolithodes"
"Hapalogaster"
"Lithodes"
"Lopholithodes"
"Neolithodes"
"Oedignathus"
"Paralithodes"
"Paralomis"
"Phyllolithodes"
"Placetron"
"Rhinolithodes"

King crabs, also called stone crabs, are a family of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their flesh, many species are widely caught and sold as food.

King crabs are generally believed to be derived from hermit crab ancestors, which may explain the asymmetry still found in the adult forms. Although some doubt still exists about this theory, king crabs are the most widely quoted example of carcinisation (shellification/crustification) among the Decapoda (familiar crustaceans). The evidence for this explanation comes from the asymmetry of the king crab's abdomen, which is thought to reflect the asymmetry of hermit crabs, which must fit into a spiral shell.

Species

Around 40 species are known , in 14 genera: [ITIS|ID=97919|taxon=Lithodidae]
* "Acantholithodes" Holmes, 1895
**"Acantholithodes hispidus" (Stimpson, 1860)
*"Cryptolithodes" Brandt, 1848
**"Cryptolithodes brevifrons"
**"Cryptolithodes sitchensis" Brandt, 1853 — umbrella crab
**"Cryptolithodes typicus" Brandt, 1848 — butterfly crab
*"Dermaturus" Brandt, 1850
**"Dermaturus mandtii" Brandt, 1850 — wrinkled crab
*"Glyptolithodes" Faxon, 1895
**"Glyptolithodes cristatipes" (Faxon, 1893)
*"Hapalogaster" Brandt, 1850
**"Hapalogaster cavicauda" Stimpson, 1859
**"Hapalogaster grebnitzkii" Schalfeew, 1892
**"Hapalogaster mertensii" Brandt, 1850
*"Lithodes" Latreille, 1806
**"Lithodes aequispinus" J. E. Benedict, 1895 — golden king crab
**"Lithodes agassizii"
**"Lithodes antarcticus" - Chilean centolla or Chilean king crab
**"Lithodes couesi" J. E. Benedict, 1895 — scarlet king crab
**"Lithodes longispina" Sakai, 1971
**"Lithodes maja" (Linnaeus, 1758) — Norway king crab
**"Lithodes nintokuae" Sakai, 1976
*"Lopholithodes" Brandt, 1848
**"Lopholithodes foraminatus" (Stimpson, 1859) — brown box crab
**"Lopholithodes mandtii" Brandt, 1848 — Puget Sound king crab
*"Neolithodes" A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894
**"Neolithodes agassizii" (S. I. Smith, 1882)
**"Neolithodes diomedeae" (J. E. Benedict, 1895)
**"Neolithodes grimaldii" (A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1894)
*"Oedignathus" Benedict, 1895
**"Oedignathus inermis" (Stimpson, 1860) — granular claw crab
*"Paralithodes" Brandt, 1848
**"Paralithodes brevipes" (H. Milne Edwards & Lucas, 1841)
**"Paralithodes californiensis" (J. E. Benedict, 1895) — California king crab
**"Paralithodes camtschaticus" (Tilesius, 1815) — red king crab
**"Paralithodes platypus" Brandt, 1850 — blue king crab
**"Paralithodes rathbuni" (J. E. Benedict, 1895)
*"Paralomis" White, 1856
**"Paralomis bouvieri" Hansen, 1908
**"Paralomis cubensis" Chace, 1939
**"Paralomis haigae" Eldredge, 1976
**"Paralomis longipes" Faxon, 1893
**"Paralomis manningi" A. B. Williams, C. R. Smith & Baco, 2000
**"Paralomis multispina" (J. E. Benedict, 1895)
**"Paralomis pacifica" Sakai, 1978
**"Paralomis seagranti" Eldredge, 1976
**"Paralomis verrilli" (J. E. Benedict, 1895)
*"Phyllolithodes" Brandt, 1848
**"Phyllolithodes papillosus" Brandt, 1848 — flatspine triangle crab, heart crab
*"Placetron" Schalfeew, 1892
**"Placetron wosnessenskii" Schalfeew, 1892 — scaled crab
*"Rhinolithodes" Brandt, 1848
**"Rhinolithodes wosnessenskii" Brandt, 1848 — rhinoceros crab

"Glyptolithodes"

"Glyptolithodes" is found chiefly in the Southern Hemisphere, but extending as far north as California, although all its closest relatives live in the Northern Hemisphere. Its single species, "G. cristatipes" was originally placed in the genus "Rhinolithodes".

"Lithodes"

"Lithodes aequispinus"

The golden king crab, "Lithodes aequispinus", is caught in the Aleutian Chain off the coast of Alaska. The golden king crab is significantly smaller than the red and blue king crabs, averaging 5–8 lb (2–4 kg). [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9D04E3D61E3CF93BA15750C0A9679C8B63 |title=Now, Live From Alaska, It's King Crab |author=Florence Fabricant |date=2001-03-28 |publisher=The New York Times] It tastes similar to the red and blue king crabs, though perhaps somewhat sweeter. They are considerably cheaper due to their appearance and size.

Significant populations occur in pockets in the waters off the Pribilof and Shumagin Islands, Shelikof Strait, Prince William Sound and at least as far south as lower Chatham Strait in the south-east, where a regular commercial fishery occurs annually.It should be noted they occur in deeper water than the red king crab, often in depths exceeding 300 fathoms (1800 feet).

"Lithodes couesi"

The scarlet king crab, "Lithodes couesi", is not often fished due to its small size and insufficient population to support commercial harvesting.

"Lithodes maja"

"Lithodes maja" occurs in the North Atlantic, including Northern Europe and Canada's east coast. It is not abundant enough to support commercial fishery, and is becoming rare in some areas.

"Oedignathus"

"Oedignathus inermis", the only species in the genus "Oedignathus", is found on the west coast of North America and separately around the coasts of Japan. Its claws and walking legs are covered in numerous tubercles rather than setae or spines, which distinguishes it from other genera.

"Paralithodes"

"Paralithodes camtschaticus"

The red king crab, "Paralithodes camtschaticus", is a very large species, sometimes reaching a carapace width of 11 in (28 cm) and a leg span of 6 ft (1.8 m). Its natural range is the Bering Sea, between the Aleutian Islands and St. Lawrence Island. It can now also be found in the Barents Sea and the European Arctic, where it was intentionally introduced and is now becoming a pest. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4775155.stm Norway fears giant crab invasion] , BBC News, August 9, 2006] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3149782.stm King crabs march towards the Pole] , BBC News, September 29, 2003]

"Paralithodes platypus"

The blue king crab, "Paralithodes platypus", lives near St. Matthew Island and the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, and is the largest of all the king crabs, sometimes exceeding 18 lb (8 kg) in weight. [Cite web |url=http://www.fishermansexpress.com/king-crab-101.html |title=King Crab 101 |publisher=Fisherman's Express |year=2000] The blue king crab is often sold as the coveted red king crab because it resembles and tastes similar to red king crab when cooked. Both the St. Matthew and Pribilof blue king crab stocks are classified as overfished and no longer support commercial fisheries.

References

See also

*Alaskan king crab fishing
*"Deadliest Catch"