On November 7, a snow crab named "Five Star" was auctioned at the Tottori market in Japan for as much as 5 million yen ($46,000).
According to the Tottori City Fisheries Promotion Department, which is in charge of the auction, this is the highest price for snow crabs to auction so far.
The coveted crustacean is a male weighing 1.2 kg (2.7 lbs) and 14.6 cm (5.74 in) long.
The bid broke the Guinness World Record for the Snow Crab Auction of 2 million yen (about $18,000) set last year, also in Tottori.
This week's winning bidder is Tetsuji Hamashita, president of fisheries wholesaler Hanashita Shoten.
The 5 million yen snow crab will appear on the plates of several lucky diners at Tokyo's bustling Ginza upscale restaurant.
"I know it's extreme. But this is the norm. "But I'm sure the taste and price of the crab match."
This year's snow crab hunting season begins on Wednesday, November 6, while the first auction – known as the "Holiday Offer Market" – takes place the next day.
Although the opening price on the opening day of auction is usually high (which the auction attendees consider to be a good sign to buy the first and best lot of the season), Hamashita said he expects the opening price to be close to 3 million yen.
According to the organizers of the auction, those who attended the auction were also surprised by the price, with many shouting "hooray" and applauding.
Snow crab is a popular delicacy in Japan, grown near Tottori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu, between Osaka and Hiroshima.
Snow crabs are known in Japan as zuwaigani and are usually harvested during the colder months.