Crab

Many crabs are found throughout the world - some 4,000 it is claimed - and most are edible, but the two principal varieties eaten in Europe are the edible or common crab or granciporro (Cancer pagarus) and the spider or spiny crab or grancevola (Maia squinado). The former is the one most commonly seen, and it can grow to over 20cm (8 in) in width. It is red-brown in colour with a smooth oval shell and two powerful claws, and it turns bright red when cooked. The spider is pink-brown in colour, with a much rounder, very spiny shell; it is the arrangement of its legs, placed in a curve around the body, that earn it its spider soubriquet. Its claws are very much smaller than those of the common crab, and its maximum width is about 20cm (8 in).