Alan Davidson

Shore Crab

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

shore crab the English name commonly used for the small edible crab of European shores, Carcinus aestuarii and C. maenas. The first of the pair belongs mainly to the Mediterranean, and the second to the Atlantic; but they overlap in range. The back is greenish and the maximum width of the carapace 7 cm (3").

This is the crab which is the subject of the softshell crab operations which have been carried on in the Lagoon of Venice since the 18th century. Just after they have shed their old carapace, and while the new one is still soft, these crabs are known as moleche. They are in this desirable state for less than half a day, so timing is crucial; as the time for ‘moulting’ approaches the crabs are kept in special hatcheries where they can be inspected several times a day. The main season for moulting is the spring.