Hobbies And Interests
Opilio Crab Description
The scientific name for opilio crab is Chionoecetes opilio. Opilio are the smallest of the crabs lumped into the common term "snow crab." Opilio crabs (or "opies," as fisherman refer to them) have broad, flat bodies covered by a hard shell. Their top color ranges from brownish to light brick red and the underbody is yellowish-white to white in shading. It has four pairs of long, thin legs and two claws. Male opilio grow to approximately 6 inches in width and females to about 3 inches.
Habitat and Migration of the Opilio Crab
Opilio crabs are found in icy waters on the continental shelf of the Bering and Chukchi seas. They live in areas of soft sediment, silt and mud about 240 to 600 feet down, feeding on bivalves, brittle stars, crustaceans, worms, mollusks and fish. Opilio migrate throughout their lives, traveling extensively from shallow to deeper waters. Natural predators of the snow crab are bearded seals, sea otters, octopus, cod, halibut and skates.
Harvesting Opilio Crab
Male opilio reach adulthood in seven years and may live more than 20 years. Males are the only legal catch. Wire traps are baited with herring. The Alaskan season opens in January and lasts typically only a month. Russian opilio are caught from September through December on a quota system, and Canada's season typically run from May through August.
History of Opilio Crab Fishing
A crisis was averted in 1999 when snow crab levels dipped to 20 percent and the Bering Sea was declared overfished. Congress granted funds to Alaska in an attempt to avert extinction and to help restore levels. In 2004, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initiated a program to limit fishing and allow opilio levels to rise by buying back both licenses and vessels from opilio fisherman. The opilio population is now rebuilding and is estimated to be at 74 percent of the target levels.