Dungeness Crab

ocean · crustacean · west coast · seafood

Named after a place. The Dungeness crab gets its name from Dungeness Spit, a long, narrow strip of land in Washington state that juts out into the water and creates a shallow, protected bay where these crabs love to live.

Just the right size. Dungeness crabs grow to about 6 to 7 inches wide, which is the perfect size for catching and eating. They're not tiny, but they're not massive either.

Homes in the sand. These crabs live on sandy bottoms and in eelgrass beds along the ocean floor, hiding and hunting for food in the underwater grasses and sediment.

Pacific coast natives. You'll find Dungeness crabs all along the west coast of North America, stretching from the icy Aleutian Islands of Alaska down to California, making them super important to fishermen from north to south.

Big business treasure. Dungeness crabs are one of the most valuable seafood industries on the west coast, meaning fishermen catch tons of them every year to sell to restaurants and grocery stores.