Swimming Crab
Also known as：Gazami crab, blue crab
Portunus trituberculatus
- Origin
- Zhoushan, Yellow Sea
- Season
- Aug–Nov
- Appearance
- A shuttle-shaped carapace with pointed ends and three raised tubercles — hence 'three-wart swimming crab.' Blue-green with white patches; long powerful chelae.
Content compiled by the Xian Mancang team
Introduction
品种介绍China's highest-volume marine crab, sourced mainly from the Zhoushan fishing grounds and the Yellow Sea. Fine flesh and rich flavor; males full of meat, females full of roe — a high-frequency coastal seafood.
Season Aug–Nov, fattest in autumn; circulates live and iced nationwide.
Holding Environment
暂养环境Xian Mancang holding advisor: temperature, salinity, water quality and density references per species — feel free to exchange holding experience.
Hold at 15–25°C, salinity 25–32‰, clear water with DO ≥5 mg/L, density 10–20 kg per cubic meter (separate to prevent mutual injury).
Hold 2–5 days; transport with low temperature, oxygenation and banded legs to reduce limb loss. Parameters above are reference values — adjust to water quality and season.
Economic Value
经济价值Clear size grading: small sizes move in volume; large (half jin+) serve banquets and gift boxes; roe-bearing females carry premiums. Autumn is the coastal market hotspot, driving foodservice and frozen-leg processing alike; annual catch levels dictate prices — good and bad years differ sharply.
Culinary & Commercial Use
烹饪与商业用途Steamed and stir-fried with scallion-ginger are home standards; Ningbo's 'salted raw crab' is savory with rice. Female roe suits steaming; male meat suits stir-frying.
Foodservice: the autumn signature of seafood stalls and Jiangsu-Zhejiang restaurants; frozen legs and crab-meat products cover the off-season.
Buying Guide
选购指南Live crabs should flip quickly and grip strongly; firm pressed legs and belly mean full meat. Females show a round, flushed umbilicus (roe signal). Missing limbs usually mean discounts; soft shells mean recently molted, watery flesh — be cautious; iced crabs price per piece with net weight as the spec.
Market Reference
规格行情Reference price: live 25–80 CNY/jin by size and sex; roe-bearing females +30–50%. Prices rise around Mid-Autumn; winter supply thins; iced and frozen run at 50–70% of live — foodservice often uses frozen legs to control costs.
Swimming Crab · FAQs
How do I pick the freshest Swimming Crab?
Live crabs should flip quickly and grip strongly; firm pressed legs and belly mean full meat. Females show a round, flushed umbilicus (roe signal). Missing limbs usually mean discounts; soft shells mean recently molted, watery flesh — be cautious; iced crabs price per piece with net weight as the spec.
What are the live-holding requirements for Swimming Crab?
Hold at 15–25°C, salinity 25–32‰, clear water with DO ≥5 mg/L, density 10–20 kg per cubic meter (separate to prevent mutual injury).
What is the current market price of Swimming Crab?
Reference price: live 25–80 CNY/jin by size and sex; roe-bearing females +30–50%. Prices rise around Mid-Autumn; winter supply thins; iced and frozen run at 50–70% of live — foodservice often uses frozen legs to control costs.
How do I cook Swimming Crab? What methods work best?
Steamed and stir-fried with scallion-ginger are home standards; Ningbo's 'salted raw crab' is savory with rice. Female roe suits steaming; male meat suits stir-frying.
Swimming Crab · For stock availability and holding consultation, contact us