Although meat from these striking crabs is apparently delicious, the shells are reported to be extremely hard. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence it appears to live in deeper, warmer water than the snow crab. Occurs in Bay of Fundy and on the Scotian Shelf. Very abundant in patches at intermediate depths. Carapace oval shaped, dark reddish-brown in colour.
Males have markedly unequal claws with the fingers dark brown or black.
A small, stout crab reaching no more than 27 mm across the carapace. Too small to command gastronomical interest, the mud crab is nevertheless of concern to shellfish culturists because of its pestiferous nature. In the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, mud crabs feed on small oysters attached to spat collectors. Atlthough the average predation rate by an individual mud crab is probably no more than one oyster every 2 days, the large numbers of the crabs magnify their impact and make control measures desirable. Occurs on soft mud bottoms to about 10 m. Toad Crab Toad Crab, Hyas sp.