King Crab  Paralithodes camtschatica

Type: Lean

King crabs are a giant species caught in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Compared to the other crabs, they are much larger, weighing up to 35 pounds and can reach 6 ft. from the tip of one leg to the tip of the opposite leg.  The flesh is very white with a red membrane and sweeter than the other crabs with a firm texture.  There are several varieties of king crab: red, blue, and brown or golden. The red king crab is the most commercially important variety.

King crabs are shipped to market in various forms. Whole crabs, cooked and frozen, are packed very carefully and shipped in special cartons so they may be used whole as buffet decorated pieces. Whole legs and meat sections in the shell for use as "cracked" crab, hot or cold; picked meat, picked legs or 60% meat and 40% legs; packed and frozen in 5 pound blocks. King crab is being shipped into the U.S. in ever increasing amounts each year. The picked legs are suitable for sautéing or in the various ways other crabs are used, the meat is extremely sweet and is especially useful in salads.

One unique trait of the king crab is that it has only 6 walking legs, a killer claw and a feeder claw, where as most crabs have ten appendages.

Season: All year 

        Size grades are based on per pound counts: 9/12 to 24/28 and 28 up

A similar species from Chili and Argentina, Lithodes antartica, or centolla crab has been sold as king crab but is not and the Food and Drug Administration has denied requests and petitions to allow sale in the United States under the King Crab name.