Discover the Largest King Crab Ever Caught

Crabs are decapod crustaceans found all over the world, except Antarctica. There are around 7,000 recognized species of crab, with 20% living in freshwater and the other 80% inhabiting the ocean. King crabs belong to the infraorder Anomura. They are more closely related to animals like hermit crabs than the “true crabs” of the infraorder Brachyura.

There are three species of king crab common in the U.S. seafood industry: the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), also known as the Alaskan king crab, the golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus), and the blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus). Of the three, the red king crab is the largest and the most commonly harvested. So, how large do king crabs get, and what is the largest king crab on record? Read on to discover the largest king crab ever caught.

So How Big Are King Crabs?

Golden king crabs are the smallest king crabs in the U.S. fishing industry, averaging around 5 to 8 pounds. They have gold-colored shells and are found from British Columbia to the Aleutian Islands and as far as Japan. Blue king crabs can weigh up to 18 pounds. They are primarily found in the Bering Sea and live out in deeper waters. They look similar to red crabs but appear to have a bluish hue.

Red king crabs are not actually red until they are cooked. Instead, they appear reddish-brown. They can reach weights of over 20 pounds, with carapace lengths of up to 11 inches and five-foot leg spans. Red king crabs can be found from British Columbia to Japan and north to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area.

Protecting Red King Crabs

To ensure red king crabs are responsibly and sustainably harvested, there are three main groups that monitor the red king crab fishery: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. These organizations have established rules about keeping males that are only of a certain size and limiting fishing to certain seasons, prohibiting fishing during mating or molting. This ensures that crabs can reproduce to replace those that are harvested. In addition, managers set harvest limits based on estimates of crab abundance.

The Largest King Crab Ever Caught

According to the NOAA, the record for the largest male red king crab is 24 pounds, with the largest female being 10.5 pounds. The 24-pound crab was documented as “the world’s largest king crab” from Kodiak, Alaska. The crab is in the collections of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

There are some sources that claim a 28-pound king crab holds the record, but there are no other verifiable reports of this crab. Other large crabs may exist, especially in the deep, cold waters off the coast of Alaska, but most red king crabs typically weigh between 6 and 10 pounds.