Dungeness crab is a good source of high-quality protein, it is low in fat and calories, and offers a rich supply of important minerals. Modern crab fishermen harvest only larger male crabs, usually delivering them live to processing plants where they are specially prepared for live air shipment or cooked and packed for fresh market. They can be found from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to south of San Francisco. Crabs average a little under 7 inches wide but have been found as big as 10 inches wide. Other than humans the crabs are also eaten by large fish and eels and by octopus.
Crabs grow by shedding their old shell.
A female produces up to 2.5 million eggs. The pots are marked with a buoy attached to a length of rope so that they can be retrieved The pots are usually baited with herring, squid or razor clams to attract the crabs. Many local residents have their own boats and pots and during the local crab season are often seen out on the water checking their pots.