Hobbies And Interests
Physical Features
The spiny king crab generally measures 6 inches across, and its legs have a diameter of about 1 foot. It has moving mouth parts and claws, which help it to quickly grab and eat its prey. For protection, its entire body is covered with sharp spines, or spikes.
Prey
Spiny king crabs tend to eat other crabs and starfish, as these animals are also common in deep water. If fresh food isn't available, they can eat dead animals and other scraps that fall to the ocean floor.
Catching and Cooking King Crab
Like other species of king crabs, the spiny king crab is caught for human consumption. As of right now, it is not an endangered animal in the United States because only male crabs can be caught. Females must be released so that they can continue to procreate. The crabs are primarily captured with traps. This is an effective way to be able to safely release any other animals that are caught by accident. The legs are the most commonly eaten part of the crab because there is not very much edible meat in the body. Most king crab legs sold in stores are already cooked and frozen to preserve their taste and need to be thawed before eating. Boiling, baking, and steaming are all great ways to cook king crab legs. Overcooking can ruin the texture and taste of the crab legs.
Serving and Eating King Crab
King crab meat can be served in a variety of ways. It is common to present it when it is still in the shell and use a fork or nutcracker to remove the meat. To make eating simpler, some people choose to split the legs before serving. It is very common to serve crab legs with plain or flavored melted butter for dipping. Besides being eaten plain, crab leg meat can be turned into crab cakes, crab rolls, soups and many other different types of recipes.