Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab
Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab
Chaceon quinquedens
Quick Facts
Deep-sea red crab (Chaceon quinquidens) is commercially fished with traps and very numerous on the continental slope at depths between 200 and 1800 meters from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida
Deep-sea red crab (Chaceon quinquidens) is commercially fished with traps and very numerous on the continental slope at depths between 200 and 1800 meters from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Vince Guida
About the Species
The Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery is managed in the U.S. from roughly the latitude of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, North Carolina, northward to the U.S./Canada border, extending eastward from the shore to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone and northward to the U.S./Canada border. The directed fishery is conducted year-round, uses trap/pot gear, and takes place primarily between 400 to 800 meters along the continental shelf. The market for red crab is picked and packaged crab meat for human consumption. Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart M.
Population
The stock has not been assessed. Although the population level is unknown, management measures are in place.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impact
Traps used to harvest deep-sea red crab have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Bycatch is low because trap/pot gear is selective, and the presence of other species is low because of the depths where red crabs are found.
Population Status
Atlantic deep-sea red crab was assessed in 2023, but the stock assessment did not provide information to determine the population status so it is unknown. There are currently no indications that the stock is overfished. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
Every 4 years, new information is reviewed to assess stock indicators. These indicators have been stable over time and recent landings have been at or below the quota.
Appearance
Atlantic deep-sea red crabs are large bright red crabs with a square carapace.
They have long legs that extend to the side, so that the entire width of the crab is double the width of the carapace.
Biology
Atlantic deep-sea red crab females reach up to 5¼ inches (13.3 cm) carapace width and males reach 6.5 inches (16.5 cm). They reach maturity at less than 4 inches (10.2 cm) carapace width. Mating occurs after the female has molted, with the male carrying the smaller female beneath him for up to several days. They live in a food-limited environment and likely eat a wide range of invertebrates, as well as scavenge carcasses. There is very limited information on growth rate or maximum age.
Where They Live
Range
Along the eastern United States, red crabs are found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. They are also found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
Atlantic deep-sea red crab live in very deep, cold waters on the ocean bottom. Bottom habitat consists of smooth, silty ocean bottom, as well as rocky canyons. Light and plant life are scarce, and food is limited.
Fishery Management
NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council manage the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery.
Atlantic deep-sea red crab is managed under the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan which includes:
- Permitting requirements for commercial vessels.
- Limited to five permitted vessels that fish exclusively in federal waters. Typically only three to four vessels are active.
- Trap configuration and gear marking requirements.
- Annual catch limits for commercial catch, based on best available science.
- Fishing season that runs from March 1 through the end of February.
Harvest
In 2022, commercial landings of Atlantic deep-sea red crab totaled 1,999.4 mt (4,408,055 lb, according to the final 2022 fishing year quota monitoring report. The majority of landings are from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Commercial fishermen use conical, or cone-shaped, pots that are wider at the base than the top. The gear consists of up to 150 baited crab pots in a string, and each permitted vessel is limited to fishing 600 pots. Landings of red crab are driven by market demand which can be variable. There is limited bycatch of other species in the red crab fishery.
Scientific Classification
Along the eastern United States, red crabs are found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina. They are also found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Atlantic deep-sea red crab live in very deep, cold waters on the ocean bottom. Bottom habitat consists of smooth, silty ocean bottom, as well as rocky canyons. Light and plant life are scarce, and food is limited.
Fishery Management
NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council manage the Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery.
Atlantic deep-sea red crab is managed under the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan which includes:
- Permitting requirements for commercial vessels.
- Limited to five permitted vessels that fish exclusively in federal waters. Typically only three to four vessels are active.
- Trap configuration and gear marking requirements.
- Annual catch limits for commercial catch, based on best available science.
- Fishing season that runs from March 1 through the end of February.
Harvest
In 2022, commercial landings of Atlantic deep-sea red crab totaled 1,999.4 mt (4,408,055 lb, according to the final 2022 fishing year quota monitoring report. The majority of landings are from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Commercial fishermen use conical, or cone-shaped, pots that are wider at the base than the top. The gear consists of up to 150 baited crab pots in a string, and each permitted vessel is limited to fishing 600 pots. Landings of red crab are driven by market demand which can be variable. There is limited bycatch of other species in the red crab fishery.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Arthropoda | Class | Malacostraca | Order | Decapoda | Family | Geryonidae | Genus | Chaceon | Species | quinquedens |
|---|
Featured News
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Seafood Facts
U.S. wild-caught Atlantic deep-sea red crab is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round.
Source
Wild-caught from North Carolina to Massachusetts.
Taste
Sweet and clean.
Texture
Delicate.
Color
White with a pink hue.
Health Benefits
Atlantic deep-sea red crab is a great, low-fat source of protein and is low in saturated fat.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 81; Protein: 18.6 g; Total Fat: 0.81 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.090 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 114 mg; Selenium: 45.8 mcg; Sodium: 331 mgSeafood News
Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Brianna Shaughnessy
An oyster reef with lush greenery in the background. Credit: Adobe Stock
A fisherman unloading their catch at dock. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Science Overview
Red Crab Stock Status Information
Very little is known about the life history and stock status of deep-sea red crab, but the New England Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) has recommended that the long-term average landings by the directed red crab fleet appears to be sustainable. Even though the overfishing limit is unknown, the SSC considers long-term average landings to be sufficiently below whatever that value is likely to be. Unlike most fisheries, no reliable discard estimate could be determined for red crab. Therefore, the acceptable biological catch, annual catch limit, and total allowable landings are currently all equal to the long-term average landings of male crabs.
For detailed information about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends, you can search for red crab, and any other species of interest, using NOAA’s StockSMART web tool.
