Dungeness Crab

What it looks like

Dungeness crab is known as the edible crab. It is a large crab with ten tooth-like projections along the front edge of its shell. Dungeness crabs have four pairs of walking legs and one pair of pincers. Their eyes are on short stalks and can be pulled back into the shell if danger is near. The top of the crab's shell is purplish-brown and the bottom is brownish-white. The whole of the shell turns bright red when cooked. Dungeness crabs grow to 22.5 cm wide across thw idest part of the back and live on sandy bottoms near patches of eel-grass. Much time is spent half buried in the sand with only their eyes showing. The Dungeness crab eats cockles and other kinds of clams by chipping away at their shells with its powerful claws.

What it was used for

Dungeness crabs are boiled and broken apart to expose the tasty white meat which is eaten. Some people also like to eat the orange eggs inside the female crabs which resemble and are called kamdzakwekila, or salmonberry.