A few days ago, a kind of crab exhibited from the North American Fishing Fair in Boston (click here to view the grand event) deeply attracted eight fresh sisters. To be precise, it is a shiny crab claw.
Its strong pliers were yellow and bright, and the small claws at the end were still shining with black paint and shiny little luster, which could not hide its innate domineering, and what came to the face was a tough and strong sense. Its name is also very much in line with its tough guy design, called the Florida Stone Crab. Yes, today we approached this crab man from Florida.
Roar Show My Humerus Two-Headed Pliers from the superiority of the 3D Florida Stone Crab
<h1>Not a stone crab of Florida stone crab, originally referred to as the three treasures of fan crab! </h1>
Florida stone crab, English name: Florida stone crab, Latin name: Menippe mercenaria, belongs to the suborder Soft-beetle, Decapoda, Short-tailed Lower Order, Fan Crab Family, And Zhe Fan Crab genus.
Sharp-eyed children's shoes may also be found, although the name of this product is called "xxxx stone crab", but it is not a stone crab family at all. (The Alaskan king crab introduced earlier is the stone crab family!) So, did the original namer think that the Appearance of the Florida Stone Crab was simple, so they took such a simple and clumsy name?
Dryha? Look at me gaha? Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria)
The shell of the Florida stone crab is brownish red or tan, and its patchwork is dotted with small gray-white dots. The carapace is generally 5-6.5 inches (13 cm-17 cm) wide and not very large, about the size of an adult's palm. Think of the king crab that is spicy in the crab shell washbasin, and the Florida stone crab is simply pitifully small. It has 2 tentacles, 2 whiskers, 4 pairs of slender and graceful feet, and a pair of proud giant claws.
The Menippe mercenaria of Florida in my youth hugged my giant claws tightly
At a glance, the most eye-catching thing is its strong two large pliers (claws), the right is large and the left is small, which is not very symmetrical. The claws at the end of the crab claws are sharp and sharp, shiny black, as smooth as lacquer.
In fact, there is another species of fan crab in Florida called Gulf stone crab, Latin literary name: Menippe adina, which is a local subspecies of Florida stone crab that looks very similar to it. They can be hybridized.
Bay Stone Crab (Menippe adina), I love to write, study well!
Bay Stone Crab: I smoke, I get tattoos, I'm a good fan crab!
In fact, what Americans call Florida stone crabs in the usual sense include three species: the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria), the bay stone crab (Menippe adina) and the hybrids in between. And this type of crab is only wild in the United States!
Florida stone crabs are found primarily in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from Connecticut to Belize, in the gulf waters of Texas, cuba, the waters off the Bahamas, and the east coast of the United States. In the United States, it is also found mainly in Florida and Texas, south Carolina and Georgia in the salt marsh area.
Florida stone crab distribution in the United States: all wild-caught!
According to the distribution of three species, the Bay Stone Crab (Menippe adina) lives in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Florida stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) are found in the waters of the Florida Peninsula (south) and off the east coast of Bekarerona and Virginia. Hybrid species are found in parts of the waters around Florida and off the east coast of South And North Carolina.
Current distribution map of Florida stone crab: blue = bay stone crab, red = Florida stone crab, purple = hybrid species of the two (T.M. Be
Like blue crabs, Florida stone crabs prefer to live near piers, oyster reefs, or hide in other rocky areas. Their location is very knowledgeable, in the final analysis, it is to better survive.
Menippe mercenaria in his youth
Their location is very knowledgeable, in the final analysis, it is to better survive. Because I like to eat oysters, I chose Oyster Reef. Because he loves to eat seaweed, molluscs and crustaceans, he stays in a place where aquatic grass is plump. As for the rocky areas, purely because they need to be hulled, forced by the need to defend against predators. They mostly live 7-9 years, and female crabs are sexually mature at the age of 2. In general, the lifespan of female crabs is 1-2 years longer than that of male crabs.
When it comes to their natural enemies, there are many: conchs, groupers, turtles, cobias, octopuses, and... Humans at the top of the food chain. Therefore, although the big pliers are tough, they still can't resist the "many things drop one thing" and can't escape the survival law of "natural selection"! (In the face of the cruel nature, no matter where the food chain is, only death is fair.) ）
<h1>From unknown origin to world-renowned: a ichthyologist and the first person to eat crab! </h1>
The history of Florida stone crabs goes back to 1913. A man named Joe had to "abandon his family" because of asthma, leave New York, and open a simple restaurant selling lunch at the Miami Beach casino in Florida alone. At that time, Miami had not yet become a city, a desolate and primitive. Therefore, people's business awareness is also weak, and the requirements for the catering industry are also easy to meet.
Joe's Stone Crab Celebrates 100th Anniversary
With the monopoly of operation, Joe's restaurant gradually improved, can accommodate 4 or 50 people. In addition to locals, there are also more foreign guests.
In 1921, a local man named James Allison established an aquarium at the end of the bay to do scientific research on aquatic life. He invited a ichthyologist from Harvard to Miami to study.
One day, the ichthyologist came to the restaurant for breakfast and began to annoy Joe: Don't you eat Florida stone crabs from the nearby seas?
Joe looked confused, why should he eat it? We have so many marine fish to eat, so many crayfish! (So, at that time, the American people loved to eat crayfish ~ who said that foreigners don't eat crayfish) Who eats it!
"No one is rare in it!" Joe didn't even want to explain.
This ichthyologist is worthy of being a bully, not dead hearted, and came again at noon that day with great excitement! It wasn't empty-handed, it was a live Florida stone crab carrying a burlap sack! Not knowing whether it was the academic enthusiasm for promotion or the humanitarian spirit of the welfare of foodies that sustained him, the ichthyologist did not (dao) the dao (dao) its (dao) (dao) (dao) How to eat it grilled, how to cook it! How to deal with it!
In the end, Joe gave in! Some Florida stone crabs were thrown into the pot that day! Since then, the restaurant has been serving refrigerated crab meat, accompanied by black potatoes and cabbage. So, is this how the traditional way of eating? A portion of potatoes costs 25 cents, a crab costs 15-19 cents, and a cabbage serve costs 25 cents. As far as Sauce Purple is concerned, the treasure of the town store of joe's Stone Crab, a century-old shop, has finally been found!
Since then, thanks to Joe's son's connections and fascination-like complexity, the Florida Stone Crab has quickly become popular among politicians, artists and athletes! And the nameless big pincer crab has since been doomed because of its sweet reputation!
In recent years, Florida stone crabs have become unparalleled in the United States. Every year in October, many places celebrate with the lively Stone Crab (Seafood) Festival. Live music party continuously, people sing and dance, red wine and champagne, rich drinks, children, lively elderly people will also dress up, the big crab claw is a hand, happy and dashing to show the love of life and the infinite enthusiasm for stone crabs!
Speaking of the Florida stone crab, its cutest place is also the one that causes it the most tragedy. Perhaps, this is also the survival wisdom that Zhuangzi wants to say that "no talent can be saved"! But I can't say for sure, with the spirit of fearlessness, maybe they will recite the verse "I am born to be useful"?!
Its giant crab claws help it quickly open the shell of an oyster, satisfying it and fending off predators! However, the goose did not expect that its extraordinarily developed crab claws would be targeted by the "Capricorn foodie" ichthyologist.
From now on, the heavens will descend upon Si Crab, who will first suffer his mind and bones... Acting disrupts what it does, so be patient and gain what it can't! In other words, in order to be famous in history, the Florida stone crab needs to dedicate its own large pliers. And, in return, the skill to re-grow crab claws has been enhanced. In fact, crustaceans are born with this skill!
Florida stone crabs are caught differently from other fisheries. The Florida stone crab in the United States is very small, basically no meat, and in view of its huge crab claws can regenerate, the US government stipulates: it is forbidden to catch whole crabs! Only adult male crabs can be caught with claws and then released. So how to distinguish between men and women? Quite simply, you just have to turn the crab over and look at the shape of the belly (belly). Round and plump for female crabs, shaped like a spire is a male crab.
The female crab's abdomen is rounded.
The belly of the male crab is spire-shaped.
In order to fish sustainably, Florida stipulates that only enough Florida stone crabs can be caught, and the crab claws must be up to 7 centimeters (2.75 inches) long to break down as a catch. The length of the crab claws is mainly from the elbow joint of the crab to the claws at the end of the crab claws.
Florida's stone crab fishery includes both commercial and recreational fisheries, and its fishing season is from October 15 to May 15 of the following year. Bait boxes can be arranged up to 10 days in advance, but can only be fished when they are due. It must be completely closed within 5 days after the end of the fishing season. In addition to consistent capture specifications, each category has certain regulations.
In the case of recreational fisheries, first of all, the individual needs to have a legal recreational fishing certificate, and secondly, there are relevant regulations on the size and maximum catch of the crab bait box used.
stipulate
Gulf waters
Atlantic Ocean Waters
The minimum size of the crab claws that can be caught
7 cm long crab claws
Maximum daily catch
Crab claws per person 1 gallon per fishing boat 2 gallons
Commercial fishing has a catch quota system, so there is no requirement for the daily catch. Of course, there are also requirements for the bait box that are detailed to specific specifications.
The development of developed fisheries is the most sustainable concept, and the United States is no exception. Florida stone crab crab hunting crab has a "3 no principle": can not catch small crabs (crab claws less than 7 cm), can not catch crab mother, can not catch whole crab. "Catch" here refers to the catch, i.e. the act of breaking off the crab claws. It should be noted that there are tricks in breaking the pliers, and it must be noted that the membrane that preserves the joints and body of the crab claws is intact. Otherwise, leaving a large trauma surface will cause the crab claws to be unable to regenerate, which will cause the crab to slowly die.
The identification of the mother crab is also mainly to look at the abdomen of the crab and observe whether there are a large number of eggs in the egg sac. The egg sac is mainly divided into two types: black and gray egg sac and orange yellow egg sac, both of which are pregnant protective objects. Once this crab is found, it must return to the sea quickly and gently. The release is too slow and too long from the water, one is to damage the crab baby, and the other is to be afraid of premature birth, so it affects the overall recuperation. Also, be gentle.
Finally, there must be someone who cares about breaking off a few crab claws. In fact, U.S. law allows two to be broken. Moreover, according to relevant statistics, the mortality rate of breaking off one crab claw is 28%, while the mortality rate of breaking two is 47%, which is really unbelievable. However, there are also some studies that have found the opposite. Moreover, everyone agrees that crab claws are very important for the feeding and resistance of Florida stone crabs, and in the long run, it is harmful to the entire fishery resources. Therefore, breaking off one crab claw is more "in line with public opinion", but breaking off two is also legal.
Also, how did this crab claw grow? This has a lot to do with the molting of Florida stone crabs, about 2-3 times to change the shell crab claws to grow to 95% of the original crab claw size. So, the crab claws are getting smaller and smaller.
The Florida stone crab in the shell is slightly vicious
Since the hull change directly affects the update time of the crab claw, the rebirth time of the crab claw varies from crab to crab. The growth capacity of adult crabs has slowed down, so it takes 3 years for them to change their shells once a year before they can be caught again and punished with "claws". Juvenile crabs, on the other hand, may change their shells two or three times a year, so they can complete the task of revitalizing crab claws in a few months.
How do those Florida stone crabs get from the corners of coral reefs and rocky areas to the diners' table, so how to get a crab claw!
--How to unlock the correct posture of smashing crab claws--
1. Yingying holds the big crab claws in one hand. A napkin or something as soft as a napkin protects the delicate jade hand, and just like that, it is held tightly across the napkin.
2. Find a huge tablespoon and gently but super quickly tap the back of the crab claws and the nodes of the two joints. In a few clicks, the crab claws will surely and obediently and gently explode to ensure that the crab shell does not stick crab meat, and the crab meat is very good.
3. Gently peel off the shell and remove the complete and delicate crab meat. Remember: there is also a thin film between the crab shell and the meat, which gently filters out.
4. Prepare the lemon slices, butter and mustard sauce for the table! (Perfect tone and gestures with Venus are even better)
Favorite boiled crab pliers, no crab can hit the fresh and sweet
In fact, the omnivore Florida stone crab is very delicious, and after a barbaric growth pattern in pure seas, crab meat adds pure and umami flavor.
The real delicacy is simply boiled: using the clamor of boiling water, the tight crab meat is crushed one by one, and then gives it full of moisture, and the plump sweetness is simply crab-free! Finally, it can also be served with mustard sauce, a dance of fresh sweetness and spicyness that will bring you to the ecstasy of your taste buds.
Fresh: Boiled crab in white water, simmered with a clear natural sweet taste! Served with thick and mellow cheese, you can chew the snow-white crab meat in a silky smooth way and feel the delicious aroma of the icing on the cake!
Sweet: Clean and neat Florida stone crab claws, with a refreshing and long red wine, a gentle and thick bread, with the sweetness of fruits and vegetables, a thousand and more wonderful sweets between the lips and teeth!
------- Florida stone crab, as natural and pure as the sea breeze-------