10 Cast Net: Alaskan Bairdi Crab

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Alaskan Bairdi Crab

Chionoecetes bairdi is a species of crab known alternatively as bairdi crab and tanner crab. C. bairdi is closely related to Chionoecetes opilio, and it can be difficult to distinguish C. opilio from C. bairdi. Both species are found in the Bering Sea and are sold commercially under the name "Snow crab". Tanner crabs have suffered from overfishing and as a result strict controls have been placed on tanner crab fisheries. Biology The mouthparts, other sensory organs, and pincers of an adult male Tanner crabs are considered a short-tailed or "true" crab. They are decapods with pincer claws on their frontmost pair of legs. They can live over a decade with most adults reaching 1 to 4 pounds (0.45 to 1.8 kg) by the time they reach adulthood, usually after about five years. Females will incubate fertilized eggs for a full year before hatching during spring plankton blooming season. The larvae are at first able to swim, but lose this ability and settle to the bottom after about two months.