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Fish, Crustaceans & Cephalopods

Beche De Mer
(Sea Cucumber)

Also known as Frog Crab and Red Frog Crab and Curacha Crab, Kona Crab (USA)

Spanner Crabs have elongated shells, which is very broad at the front.  The first legs are "spanner" shaped and the rest are flattened and have numerous short bristles.

The spanner crab's body colour varies from orange to red.

Spanner Crabs prefer bare sandy areas.  They inhabit intertidal waters to depths of more than 100m, from sheltered bays to surf areas.

Spanner crabs remain completely buried in the sand for most of the day, but they emerge rapidly when food appears.  Spanner crabs are opportunistic feeders, ie., they eat what ever is available.  Adults eat heart sea-urchins and a variety of small bivalve molluscs, crustaceans, polychaete worms and fish.  Spanner crabs are often found in areas where there is an intensive night time prawn fishery, suggesting that discards from the trawl catch may form a significant part of their diet.

There is evidence that sharks and turtles feed on spanner crabs and turtles take advantage of crabs being caught in nets. 

Spanner Crabs are available wild-caught, these marine dwellers are found from close inshore to at least 100m, usually buried in sand from where they attack small bottom-dwelling fish. Their long, almost goblet-shaped, bright orange shells (even when uncooked) and spanner-shaped front claws are quite distinctive. Found around most of the Australian coast from NSW north to southern WA, they are caught commercially, mainly using dillies, but also as a bycatch of Prawn trawling, off southern Queensland and northern NSW. The fishery has increased greatly since the early 1980s.
 

Did you know? Spanner Crabs move in a forwards-backwards motion, unlike other crabs who move sideways.

Did you know? This large crab is red in colour and stays the same colour when cooked.

Other Spanner Crab Links:

CRAB RECIPES

Recipes using Crab and Crabmeat from How To Cook Fish

Exporters of Crab
Importers of Crab
Processors of Crab
Wholesale Suppliers of Crab
Seafood Agents for Crab

Male and female crab identification

Fishing for Spanner Crabs:

Spanner Crab Closed Season - Queensland:

Cooking Spanner Crabs:

Spanner crab meat is coarser in texture than other species and known for its sweet flavour.

Spanner Crabs have long, almost goblet-shaped, bright orange shells (even when uncooked) and spanner-shaped front claws, are quite distinctive. Usually found close inshore, often buried in sand, they are mainly fished off NSW and Queensland from January to October, peaking from July to October with the fishery closed for most of December. They average about 400g and are usually sold cooked, although they can occasionally be found live. Although they only yield 25% meat, they are lower priced than other Crabs and some chefs prefer their distinctive flavour.

This low- to medium-priced crab species offers many cooking alternatives and adds a delicate crab flavour to a variety of dishes. When this crab is cooked whole, its bright orange shell is very attractive served on a buffet or platter.

The suggestions for cooking spanner crabs are almost endless. Try them pan-fried with sea salt and cracked black pepper, or coat and deep fry the claws and serve with sweet chilli or plum sauce. They are good for seafood platters, with garlic or citrus juice, or for salads with avocados and bitter greens.

For Asian-style cooking, spanner crabs make excellent clear consommes or Thai-style broths, and are a good choice as an ingredient for won tons and dumplings.

They are also excellent minced and used in patties or fish cakes.

To Buy:
Available live or cooked. They are a low to medium-priced crab. Look for brightly coloured lustrous shells, free of damage with a pleasant fresh sea smell. They should feel heavy for their size.

To Store:
Use crustaceans as soon as possible after purchase. Cooked crabs should be covered and refrigerated. Live crabs should be covered with damp butchers paper and stored in a cool, dark place.

Tips & Tricks:
If you are cooking with crab you must always use an uncooked crab. (Crab meat can never be cooked twice.) The new RSPCA guidelines on how to kill live crabs state that they should be chilled in a refrigerator or freezer for a couple of hours and then killed by splitting or spiking to destroy the nerve centres. At least at your hand, you know it's died painlessly. From a culinary point of view it will taste better too.

The common boiling time (15 min) for spanner crabs is insufficient to inactivate proteolytic enzymes in the hepatopancreas which cause mushiness in the flesh. Boiling, steaming and microwave cooking conditions which did inactivate the digestive enzymes and provide acceptable shelf life were compared for effects on weight loss, sensory attributes and cadmium contents in the flesh. Steaming was a suitable alternative to boiling for spanner crabs.

Cooking Tips: For live crabs allow 10 minutes per 500g to cook. Steam or boil in salted water.

Crab Recipes - From Sea-Ex

Recipes using Crab - From How To Cook Fish

Pan Fried Soft-Shell Crab BBQ Shrimp w Crab Meat Stuffing Singapore Chili Crab Crab Cakes

Commercial Fishing for Spanner Crabs:

Spanner Crabs  are caught commercially, mainly using dillies, but also as a bycatch of Prawn trawling, off southern Queensland and northern NSW. The fishery has increased greatly since the early 1980s

Season:
Available from January to October, peaking from July to October with the fishery closed for most of December.

See Also:   Crab,   3 Spot Crab,    Blue Swimming Crab,    Brown Crab,   Common Swimming Crab,   Dungeness Crab,   Jonah Crab,   King Crab,   Sea Crab,   Snow Crab,   Softshell Crab,   Spanner Crab,   Spider Crab,   Stone Crab,   Velvet Crab,   Canned Crabmeat

More links about Spanner Crabs and Crab Information