Details
Paralithodes camtschaticus
The red king crab is a giant crab of cold North Pacific waters. With a very wide leg span, it is also one of the most valuable crabs in northern fisheries.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It is native to the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Kamchatka region, Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan. It was introduced to the Barents Sea by people.
Carapace width can reach about 28 cm and leg span about 1.8 m. Live animals are dark red-brown to burgundy, becoming bright red when cooked.
Depth use changes with life stage, from shallower juvenile habitats to deeper adult grounds. Adults walk over sandy, muddy and rocky bottoms, and juveniles may cluster densely.
Clams, urchins, polychaetes, small crustaceans, bottom animals, algae and organic matter are eaten. Strong legs and claws help it forage across the seafloor.
Females carry many eggs under the abdomen until hatching. Larvae drift in the plankton before settling to bottom life.
Its high food value makes fishery pressure and management important. In the Barents Sea, introduced populations can affect native seafloor communities.
