15 Fun Facts about Crabs

Do you love the sweet taste of crab meat? You're not alone. People all over the world have enjoyed eating crab throughout human history. Here are 15 interesting tidbits of information about crabs to contribute to your dinner conversation next time you're eating a basket of our tasty fried crab claws:

  1. There are over 6,700 species of crab.
  2. The Japanese spider crab is the world's largest crab, measuring 12 to 13 feet across.
  3. Among the world's smallest crabs are pea crabs which grow to be .4 to .6 inches in diameter.
  4. A group of crabs is called a cast.
  5. Crab nutrition fact: Crab meat is high in vitamin B12, and 2-3 ounces of crab meat is enough to meet adult daily B12 requirements.
  6. Hermit crabs, king Crabs, and horseshoe crabs are false crabs.
  7. False crabs come from the order Anomura while other crabs are classified as Brachyura. Anomura have a smaller last set of legs - which are sometimes not even visible -- elongated abdomens and tails like shrimp or lobsters.
  8. Crabs can walk in all directions, but mostly walk and run sideways.
  9. Crabs are decapods, meaning they have 10 legs.
  10. Female crabs can release 1000 to 2000 eggs at once.
  11. The lifespan of a small crab averages around 3-4 years, but larger species such as the giant Japanese spider crab can live as long as 100 years.
  12. Crabs are omnivorous, eating plants like algae and getting meat from mollusks, worms and other crustaceans.
  13. Softshell crabs are simply crabs that have recently molted, so any crab can be a softshell crab. In the US, softshell crabs are usually blue crabs.
  14. Lump and jumbo lump crab meat comes from the swimming legs of the crab.
  15. Crab nutrition fact: Dark meat from the body of the crab and is rich in Omega-3.

The Many Ways to Eat Crab at the Original Oyster House

Not only do we know about crab facts at the Original Oyster House, we're also highly skilled at cooking them and incorporate crab meat throughout our menus. We serve softshell crab from the Gulf as well as Alaskan snow crab. Our menu items include crab claws, crab cakes, snow crab legs, fried soft shell crab, baked stuffed crab, soft shell crab po'boys, and our seafood gumbo also contains crab meat. Crab cakes are served alongside several of our entrees.

If all this talk about crabs has roused your appetite, you know where to find us! Bring your whole family to The Original Oyster House and dine on the best crab available at either of our two unique locations in Gulf Shores or at the Mobile Causeway!