Crabs are part of marine arthropods. They have four legs and walk in a sideways direction.
Crabs are very famous as seat food. However, it can be quite complicated to obtain white crab meat.
China is the largest exporter of crabs, and crabs are commonly consumed in countries like Russia, the US, China, Indonesia, Canada, etc.
Key Takeaways
- Dungeness crabs are larger and meatier than snow crabs.
- Dungeness crabs are caught on the west coast of North America, while snow crabs are caught in the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic.
- Dungeness crabs have a sweeter flavor, while snow crabs have a milder flavor.
Dungeness vs Snow Crab
The difference between Dungeness and snow crabs is that Dungeness crabs have thinner and smaller legs compared to snow crabs. Snow crabs have long legs. Dungeness crabs provide lesser meat, whereas the long legs of snow crabs provide more quantity of meat in a single crab.
Dungeness crabs are also known as Dungeness as they are named after their native habitat. Dungeness crabs have wide body with a hard shell.
They are oval and are commercially very important in California. They are edible and are one of the most consumed crabs in the world.
Snow crabs are majorly found in North Atlantic and North Pacific regions. They are also known as queen crabs.
They prefer to live in the cold, a condition that is under the deep sea. They are found in snowy-cold ocean conditions.
However, they get their name from the snowy white color of their meat.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Dungeness | Snow Crab |
|---|---|---|
| Size | The legs of Dungeness crabs are shorter than those of snow crabs. | The legs of snow crabs are longer than those of Dungeness crabs. |
| Named after | They are named after the habitat they are found in. | They are named after the color of their meat. |
| Found in | They are mostly found in the California region. | They are found in North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. |
| Taste | It has a sweeter taste than snow crabs. | They are less sweet compared to Dungeness. |
| Edible part | Their body under the shell is edible. | Their legs are mostly preferred to be consumed. |
What is Dungeness?
Dungeness is a part of special crab species. They are named after the habitat they are found in, that is, Dungeness Bay in England.
They are also found near Santa Barbara and California. They live mostly in sandy habitats.
These crabs are consumed all around the world. It is famous for its sweet meat.
They weigh about 2 pounds. Almost 1.5 pounds of it can be used as pure crab meat.
They have ten feet on average. Among these 10, they use 2 for defense and to eat food.
Four of their feet are used to walk. They have two big black eyes that sit on their heads.
The meat of Dungeness is very safe to eat. Its meat is hard to separate from the shell, so it is used in sauce and dip as a whole.
This crab has a very sweetmeat. Boiling the crab for about 20 minutes can help to bring a better and sweeter flavor to this crab.
However, it is highly advised not to consume the crab raw as it could lead to dangerous consequences. The crab has many health benefits.
It is a rich source of protein and B12. It also helps to increase immunity entirely.
What is Snow Crab?
Snow crabs are the origin of the Northern Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean. It is well-known commercially.
A Snow crab gets its name from its snowy-white-colored meat. It is also found in cold, snowy places.
Snow crabs are found in deep cold water conditions.
They are very closely related to King crabs. A large part of snow crabs is their legs.
They have short and round bodies. Male snow crabs tend to be double the size of female snow crabs.
Snow crab meat is sweet and tender. It is delicate and textured.
The consumption of snow crab is a good choice as it is a responsibility harvested under special guidelines. Their color change from red to white when brought in the presence of fire.
The long legs of snow crabs give a high quantity of meat; hence an entire King crab is equal to snow crab legs.
Their meat is easily found all around the world. It is rich in vitamins like B-3, B-5, B-6, and vitamin C. It also contains copper and phosphorus.
They have a high amount of cholesterol. It has about sixty mg of cholesterol per serving.
Snow crabs are a great choice of food after an active day as they help to restore your body.
Main Differences Between Dungeness and Snow Crab
- Dungeness has smaller legs compared to Snow crabs. Hence, the legs of snow crabs provide more meat than Dungeness.
- Dungeness crab can be easily found in California. Snow crabs are found in North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.
- The body part of the Dungeness crab is referred to eat, whereas the legs of snow crabs are preferred to eat.
- Dungeness crab is sweeter in taste compared to snow crabs. Hence, many people prefer Dungeness over snow crabs.
- Dungeness crabs are found in grass beds and ocean floors. Snow crabs are found on sandy, muddy ground or upper slopes.
- https://academic.oup.com/jcb/article-abstract/8/2/164/2327685
- https://science.sciencemag.org/content/276/5317/1431.abstract
Last Updated : 25 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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