Characteristics of Snow Crabs & Classification of Snow Crab – Baridi Crab & Opilio Crab

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Overview of Snow Crabs – Types and Habitat

Snow crabs are one of the best delicacy seafood in fish markets and restaurants all over the world. In South Korea, snow crabs are one of the best sellers in fish markets and seafood markets for special occasions.

Snow crab habitats span from Alaska along the northern part through Russia, Japan and to the Korean peninsula in the Pacific while snow crabs in the Atlantic dwell in the Northern Atlantic from Norway through Greenland.

Snow crabs usually dwell in icy cold sea −1 and 5 °C (30 and 41 °F), but they are also found in environments up to 10 °C (50 °F).

 

 

The fishing grounds and habitats of the snow crabs have changed over the years due to the climate change. Snow crabs usually refer to the Chionoecetes genus and there are about several species in the Chionoecetes genus.

However, only two major species of the Chionoecetes genus the opilio crab and the bairdi crab are referred as snow crabs and consumed in the market.

The Opilio crab consists the majority of snow crabs and the term snow crab became a general term of the Opilio crab while the Bairdi Crab(Tanner crab) is caught less.

 

 

Characteristics of Snow crabs

Both the Opilio crab and bairdi crabs are referred to as snow crabs in this paragraph. Snow crabs usually live in deep waters in depths from 13 meters ~ 2000 meters (40 feet to 6400 feet deep).

Snow crabs could live up to 12 years and older. Like majority of the crustaceans, crabs would hatch as zooplankton where they would go through multiple molting processes before they become a fully mature crab.

 

 

It may take up to 5 years for the crab larvae to fully mature, however thanks to the fertile reproduction cycle of snow crabs, with protection of sea resources, snow crabs could maintain a sustainable population(still monitoring is mandatory).

Juvenile snow crabs tend to inhabit colder waters and migrate to warmer seas as they mature.

 

 

Diet, Reproductive cycle and predators of Snow Crabs

Female snow crabs usually go through a reproductive cycle once a year where a female snow crab could carry over 100,000 eggs at once. However still, crabs start off as a zoo plankton, so the number of eggs shouldn’t be misunderstood as a large quantity.

Snow crabs are omnivores where they feed on both vegetation and animals. Snow crabs are also scavengers on the ocean bottoms, they are also capable of cannibalism where they would feed on their own kindred.

 

 

Major predators of snow crabs are seals, sea otters, octopus and other crabs, however an interesting predator of snow crabs that seem to have a valid correlation with the snow crab population are cods.

There are several studies that exhibit a meaningful correlation between the cod and snow crab population. However, the major effector on snow crab population known is human consumption and climate change.

 

 

Difference between a Snow Crab (Opilio Crab) and a Baridi Crab

Supposing that a snow crab (opilio crab) is the same weight as a Bairdi Crab

1.    Bairdi Crab has a bigger body than a Opilio Crab. It’s body is much larger in width compared with a Opilio Crab.

2.    The legs of a Bairdi Crab are shorter than an Opilio Crab

3.    Bairdi Crab has a M shaped mouth while an Opilio crab’s mouth has a linear straight shape.

4.    The shell of a Bairdi Crab is much thicker than an Opilio Crab.

 

 

The catch of Baridi crab is much smaller than the Opilio crab and among these two species, the Opilio crab yields the majority. In terms of taste, the crab meat flesh yield of the body in Bardi Crab is much larger than the Opilio Crab.

However, in general, the taste of the Bairdi Crab is considered less sweet than the Opilio Crab. There isn’t a superiority in terms of taste but rather different preferences. Also, for choosing a snow crab to consume, the quality of each individual snow crab is much more important.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50tSbthKdmI&t=28s

Left : Bairdi Crab (The mouth is M shaped) Right: Opilio Crab (The mouth has a linear straight shape)

 

 

 

Baridi Crab – Tanner Crab

The name Bairdi Crab comes from its species name Chionoecetes bairdi . The species name was named by Mary Jane Rathbun who worked for the Smithsonian Institute after her mentor Spencer Barid.

The Bairdi Crab is also called the Tanner Crab as it was named after Zera Luther Tanner who led a research team in Alask exploring the seas of Alaska.

 

 

The Bairdi Crab is called 큰 대게 in Korean (This isn’t an official name) but many call it a 베르디 대게. In South Korea, Baridi Crab is pronounced more as “bear + dy, where the bear pronunciation is more like the animal bear.

In Japanese, the Bairdi Crab is called a オオズワイガニ (大頭矮蟹). Bairdi Crab may grow two times larger than the opilio snow crab.

 

Right Picture : The Opilio crab is above while the Bairdi Crab is below.

 

Characteristics of the Opilio Crab – Snow Crab

The term snow crab usually refers to the Opilio Crab. The name Opilio or Opies means shepherd. Majority of the snow crabs are opilio crab so the term snow crab became a common name for the snow crab. The Opilio Crab is called a 대게 in Korean and in Japanese, ズワイガニ(本ズワイガニ).

 

 

Origins of Snow Crabs that access the South Korea Market

Although small, snow crab imports from the Bearing Sea also enter the South Korea seafood market. However, even expert merchants don’t know that the Baridi crab is a different species from the opilio crab.

Snow crabs from different origins and fishing grounds access the market in South Korea, and many snow crabs are classified in detail by their origins.

The most notable origins of snow crabs that access the South Korea seafood market are from Uljin, Pohang, Young duk from South Korea, Magadan, West Sahalin, East Sahalin Primorsky from Russia, Bearing Sea and the Atlantic Ocean etc.

 

 

Misconceptions & Value of Bairdi Crab compared with Opilio Crab in South Korea

As many of the Baridi crabs come from the Bearing Sea, many mistakes the Bairdi Crab name comes from the Bearing Sea without knowing the Bairdi crab is actually a different species apart from the opilio crab.

Depending on the size of the snow crab, bairdi crab that could grow larger may have better market value than smaller opilo crabs but bairdi crab may also have a lower value in South Korea as the intestines of snow crab are a prime delicacy in South Korea.

 

 

In general, Bairdi Crab have more body meat yield than an opilio crab but many evaluate the bairdi crab has less sweetness in the leg meat and less flavor in the intestines.

Still, the quality of the snow crab, especially in terms of South Korea standards depend more on the quality of the individual crab.