Category: Crabs and Shrimp view all from this category

Description The Florida stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, is a crab found in the western North Atlantic, from Connecticut to Belize, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba and the Bahamas that is widely caught for food.

The stone crab's carapace is 5 to 6.5 inches (130 to 170 mm) long and about 5 in (130 mm) wide in larger specimens. They are brownish red with gray spots and a tan underside, and have large and unequally-sized chelae (claws) with black tips. In addition to the usual sexual dimorphism exhibited by crabs, the female Florida stone crabs have a larger carapace than males of a similar age, and males generally have larger chelae than females.

Habitat Mud flats, Salt marshes & estuaries.

Range Texas, Florida.