Dungeness crab

Large, purplish-brown crab with a wide, fan-shaped shell and white-tipped claws. Males have a narrow tail flap on the underside; females have a wide, round one.

Most catches are smaller than the top size of about 9 in (22.5 cm).

Up to about 9 in (22.5 cm) across the shell. Source: SeaLifeBase

What it eats isn't well documented yet for this species.

It lives on soft bottoms and seagrass in estuaries and near-shore waters. Young ones live and feed in estuaries, especially oyster reefs and eelgrass.

Found from Central & Northern California and Oregon & Washington.

Sand and eelgrass in bays, harbors and the open coast from Central California to Alaska.

From the surface down to 1,181 ft (360 m).

1–30 ft, near shore and in bays.

Florida stone crab season runs from mid-October into spring (check FWC for exact dates).

Traps soak overnight or longer.

Not critical.

Calm days to set and pull traps safely.

Chicken, turkey legs, fish carcasses, clams and squid in a bait cage.

Crab rings, pots and crab snares.

Recreational traps (limited number, marked buoy) or by hand where allowed.

No hook — traps baited with fish heads or pigs' feet.

Trap rope sized for the depth.

Not used.

Drop a baited crab ring or pot from a pier or boat, wait 15–30 minutes for rings (longer for pots) and pull it up fast. Measure every crab.

Crab are best when their shells are full and hard — a soft, light crab has little meat.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Pull off the back shell, remove the gills and guts, rinse and break the body in half.

Boil or steam 15–20 minutes and eat with butter, or clean before cooking for cioppino.

Claws can crush fingers — hold from behind.

Keep males only, above the state's minimum shell width (measured across the back); seasons, limits and gear rules differ by state and area. Check CDFW, ODFW or WDFW. Licenses, size and bag limits and seasons are set by each state — the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (wildlife.ca.gov), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (myodfw.com) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (wdfw.wa.gov) — together with NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Rules change often, and many areas are no-take marine reserves: check before you go.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.