| Market Names |
Swimming Crab |
| Where Caught |
Sea of Cortez, Mexico |
| How Caught |
Wild-captured by trap |
Blue Crab - Hard Shell AKA Gumbo Crab Save as PDF
Hard Shell Blue Crab, or Gumbo Crab, (Callinectes bellicosus) is a cousin of the true Blue Crab (C. sapidus) found in Chesapeake Bay. It is known to be more aggressive than the true Blue Crab. Gumbo Crab is also colloquially referred to as Swimming Crab, Warrior Crab and Cortez Crab.
Gumbo Crab is wild-captured in the Sea of Cortez (also called the Gulf of California), where it develops a hard shell and strong flavor due to the salinity of the water. It is a popular Crab in the South due to its large size. It is commonly used in Gumbo and is an excellent substitute for Dungeness Crab in cioppino. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® rates trap and crab ring caught gumbo crab from the Mexican Pacific Ocean as a "Good Alternative."
| Sources | |
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Species NameCallinectes bellicosus |
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SourceGumbo Crab is caught off the coast of Mexico in the Gulf of California. |
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SeasonalityGumbo Crab is fished from mid-summer to late fall and is available frozen year-round. |
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Fishing MethodGumbo Crab is wild-captured by crab trap. |
| Features | |
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FlavorThe meat has a strong, succulent and sweet flavor. |
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AppearanceWith a very hard shell, Gumbo Crabs have large claws and white meat. |
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FormGumbo Crabs come dressed, IQF. |
| Uses | |
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PreparationGumbo Crab is great in gumbo and seafood stews like ciopino. Its large size and flavor mean that it can also be grilled, steamed, boiled, or fried. |
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HandlingFrozen Gumbo Crab should be kept frozen until prior to use. It is recommended to defrost in a perforated drip pan, to avoid sitting in water, in a 34-36 degrees refrigerator overnight to retain best quality. Do not refreeze or allow to sit in water. |
| Market | |
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Sizes and CutsGumbo Crab is known for its size and large claws. Males can weigh over 1 pound. |
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Pricing ScaleGumbo Crab is relatively inexpensive especially compared to Dungeness Crab. Due to market and currency fluctuations, please contact your Seattle Fish Company of New Mexico associate for up-to-date market information and current pricing information. |
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Shelf LifeFrozen Gumbo Crab can be commercially stored for up to one year. |