Fact sheet
The crab is a decapod crustacean that has five pairs of feet, one of which ends in two large claws. We distinguish between true crabs (brachyurea genus) with a short abdomen tucked under the body and “false” crabs (paguroïdea genus) like the royal crab or the hermit crab (small crab occupying an empty shell to protect its abdomen). While most species are aquatic, some are terrestrial (land crab, coconut crab).
Among the main species, there is the edible crab (cancer pagurus, cancridae family, in the Atlantic and the English Channel). With a smooth, rounded egg-shaped shell (brick red to brown and cream underneath) with powerful claws, it measures from 15 cm to 30 cm with a weight of 1.5 to 2 kg. The edible crab is usually caught using a pot, when 3 or 4 years old at a depth of between 20 and 150 m and must have minimum size of 13 cm. It is migratory and can travel between 100 and 150 km in a few months.
The European spider crab (majidae family, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and English Channel) is so named for its long thin legs. It has a triangular-shaped greyish red shell (10 to 15 cm). Measuring 5 to 10 cm, the swimming crab (portunidae family, in the Atlantic and Mediterranean) has a dark brown, downy shell and black-tipped claws with a bluish sheen. The king crab (also called the Kamtchatka crab or royal red crab, in Alaska, Norway and Russia) is the most imposing (5 to 15 kg, 1.50 m reach). There is also the European green crab (200g) or shore crab (Atlantic and Mediterranean) usually used for soups.
Production and consumption
French crab imports totalled 11,615 tons, and exports 3,405 tons in 2009. French crab consumption in 2009 was 5,474 tons for a production of 5,300 tons (-2.3% in volume and -7.7% in value).
From March 2009 to March 2010, the edible crab remained the most widely consumed fresh crustacean in France (29.5%). (Source: FranceAgriMer, Kantar World Panel)
At Rungis Market
Edible crab volumes dropped 9.3% on the Market, falling from 875 tons in 2008 to 794 tons in 2009 (of which 235 tons were imported). The European spider crab volumes (exclusively from France) dropped from 57 tons in 2008 to 43 tons in 2009 (-24.4%). “We sell edible crab and frozen king crab from the far north,” explains Mr Christian Leroy, from Blanc SA Huîtres - Coquillages. “They come from the North Atlantic, from France and England. The quantities vary a lot depending on the season and they can triple between seasons.”
