610 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



States Coast from Massachusetts to Texas, and is especially abundant in bays 

 and at the mouth of rivers. Although its natural medium is salt water, it is some- 

 times found in brackish and even fresh water. 



The dungeness (Cancer magister) is the common crab of the Pacific Coast; it 

 is found from Lower California to Unalaska. Its favorite habitat is in shallow 

 water, on exposed sandy beaches, or in sandy bays. 



The rock crab (Cancer irroratus) is most common on the New England Coast, 

 but it is found from Labrador to South Carolina. This crab is not fished extensively 

 although it is exceedingly abundant, contains more meat than the blue crab, and 

 is equal to the latter in flavor. Rock crabs are caught to some extent in all the 

 New England states. 



The Jonah crab (Cancer horealis) resembles the rock crab, but it has a rougher 

 shell with scalloped edges and is usually slightly larger. It is found from Long 

 Island to Nova Scotia, the principal localities being Noank, Connecticut; Narra- 

 gansett Bay and off Watch Hill, Rhode Island; Vineyard Sound, No Man's Land, 

 and Salem, Massachusetts; Casco Bay, Maine; and the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. 

 It ranges in size up to about 6 inches across the shell. Its flavor is excellent, but 

 it has never been an important article of commerce because of its limited distri- 

 bution. 



The stone crab (Menippe mercenarius) ranges from North Carolina to Texas. 

 It compares favorably in flavor with the blue crab and also grows to a much larger 

 size than the blue crab. The principal fisheries are in Charleston, South Carolina, 

 and Key West, Florida, but are not extensive because of the scarcity of this 

 crustacean. 



The king crab (Lopholithodes mandtii) is found on the Pacific Coast, but is 

 now rare. 



A list of crabs of minor importance is given below: 



Fiddler crab Gelasimus pugnax 



" pugilator 

 minax 

 Green crab Carcinus maenas. Leach 



Hermit crab Eupagurua bernhardus 



pollicaris 



longicarpus 

 Horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemiis 



Jonah crab Cancer horealis 



Kelp crab Epialtus productus 



Lady crab, sand crab, 



squeaker crab Platyonichus ocellatus, Latr. 



Mud crab Panopeus herbstii, Edwards 



Mussel crab Pinnotheres maculatus 



Oyster crab Pinnotheres ostreum 



Purple shore crab Heterograpsus nudus 



Red crab Cancer productus 



Sand bug Hippatalpoida, Say 



Spider crab Libinia emarginata. Leach 



dubia, Edwards 

 Yellow shore crab Heterograpsus oregonensis 



