Does anyone know the size limit and bag limit for "sheep crab or spider crab"?

[Natural Lefty]

First, let me concur that teh type of crab usually referred to as "spider crabs" are indeed Sheep Crabs. I checked it on the internet before. Unless I missed something in my ocean regs, there is absolutely no mention about Sheep Crab in the regulations, which I take to mean that there are no limits on them. The 35 crab, 4 inch minimum thing is specific to "crabs of the genus Cancer," which includes the rock crab species. Sheep Crab are a type of decorator crab, which is a completely different group of crabs. King Crab is a decorator crab, for instance. If I recall correctly, the scientific name of Sheep Crab is Loxocanthus Giganteus, so they are definitely not in the Cancer genus.

I have eaten them and they taste very good, but tend to have a lot of extraneous stuff on their shells which makes them messy. But some people will say anything tastes crappy. I have even seen people on this board say that Redear Sunfish taste crappy. Maybe some people think King Crab taste crappy, too. Sheep Crab taste similar to King Crab.

[mg2969]

my post from Jan on Bloodydecks:
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/in...-eating-3.html


not 100 % sure


dfg reg 29.85.7b states

"(b) All crabs of the Cancer genus except Dungeness crabs, but including: yellow crabs,
rock crabs, red crabs and slender crabs:
(1) Open season: All year.
(2) Limit: Thirty-five.

HOWEVER
Dungeness crab, Cancer magister

Rock Crab Cancer aniennarius
Red Crab Cancer productus

Yellow Crab Cancer anthonyi
Slender Crab Cancer gracilis


Loxorhynchus grandis (aka sheep crab) is not part of the genus Cancer which is the basis for the crabbing regs and thus there do not appear to be any regs