Dungeness Crab — General Information

General Information

Habitat and Range

     The Dungeness Crab inhabits eel-grass beds and muddy to sandy bottoms, from the low intertidal zone to depths in excess of 600 ft. They can be found from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to south of San Francisco.

Size and Description

     While crabs measuring 10 inches across the back have been taken off the coast of Washington, the crab seldom exceeds 8 inches and averages just under 7 inches of shell width. The Dungeness Crab has white-tipped claws and a brownish shell.

Diet and Predators

     The Dungeness Crab eats a wide variety of marine forms. Stomachs of ocean crabs have been found to contain clams, fish, and crabs, as well as other items, including starfish, worms, squid, snails, and eggs from fish or crabs. The Dungeness Crab is also cannabalistic, a fact which has been observed in laboratories and borne out by examination of stomach contents.
The Dungeness Crab is also eaten by quite a few creatures, including fish such as dogfish, hake, halibut, ling cod, sculpins, and wolf eel. The crab is also a favorite food of the octopus and, of course, the human.

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Habitat and Range
	The Dungeness Crab inhabits eel-grass beds and muddy to sandy bottoms, from the low intertidal zone to depths in excess of 600 ft. They can be found from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to south of San Francisco.
Size and Description
	While crabs measuring 10 inches across the back have been taken off the coast of Washington, the crab seldom exceeds 8 inches and averages just under 7 inches of shell width. The Dungeness Crab has white-tipped claws and a brownish shell.
Diet and Predators
	The Dungeness Crab eats a wide variety of marine forms. Stomachs of ocean crabs have been found to contain clams, fish, and crabs, as well as other items, including starfish, worms, squid, snails, and eggs from fish or crabs. The Dungeness Crab is also cannabalistic, a fact which has been observed in laboratories and borne out by examination of stomach contents. The Dungeness Crab is also eaten by quite a few creatures, including fish such as dogfish, hake, halibut, ling cod, sculpins, and wolf eel. The crab is also a favorite food of the octopus and, of course, the human.