Question about stone crabs

[hurricane1091]

Never heard of them until recently. I was wondering why you take a claw off and throw the crab back? I'd imagine the rest of the crab would be like eating a blue crab but I guess not? I understand that they grow the claw back, and I have to say it looks like good eats.

[tattoo]

When they are in season they sell stome claws in the market . i like them with melted butter. good stuff. 

[dwbtd]

Never heard of them until recently. I was wondering why you take a claw off and throw the crab back? I'd imagine the rest of the crab would be like eating a blue crab but I guess not? I understand that they grow the claw back, and I have to say it looks like good eats.

for one it's against the law in florida - but having broken a stone crab open by accident they have little meat in the backfin area - the body is just not large in relation to the claw - also with just a 30% mortality rate from removing one claw you keep the fishery healthy but putting them back
and to me they are better eating then lobster !!

[dfran]

for one it's against the law in florida - but having broken a stone crab open by accident they have little meat in the backfin area - the body is just not large in relation to the claw - also with just a 30% mortality rate from removing one claw you keep the fishery healthy but putting them back
and to me they are better eating then lobster !!

You can remove both claws not just one

[dwbtd]

You can remove both claws not just one

correct - but mortality jumps to about 80% if you do - so we choose not to

[ACFISHERIES]

correct - but mortality jumps to about 80% if you do - so we choose not to

We? Got a mouse in your pocket? No, you're wrong, FMRI studies put the SURVIVAL rate at 66% with both(legal size) claws harvested. That coupled with the 2 3/4" minimun size limit led FMRI to conclude that at present harvest rates(aprox 3 million lbs. per year) there is no danger of overfishing.

[BlueSpider 9/7/11]

also with just a 30% mortality rate from removing one claw you keep the fishery healthy but putting them back
and to me they are better eating then lobster !!

I prefer ALL Crabs to any Lobster, but that's just personal taste. Strange enough, I never even cared much about eating Crab(s) until just about a year ago. Sure, I've ate Crabs b4, yet it was quite awhile b4 I (permanently) got hooked on them as a meal. To each his own as always though.

[Pelon]

We can only keep the right claw here in Texas . Even if it was legal there's not enough meat in the body to justify killing it.