Gourt > Home > Cooking > Soups and Stews > Fish and Seafood > Shellfish > Crab (1)
The term crab is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapod crustaceans with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs. Other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs and king crabs are, despite superficial similarities, not crabs at all; rather, they belong to the Anomura and can be distinguished from true crabs by counting the legs. In Anomura, the last pair of pereiopods (walking legs) is hidden inside the carapace, so only four pairs are visible (counting the claws), whereas uninjured true crabs always have five visible pairs.
True crabs
True crabs are crustaceans in the infraorder Brachyura, in the order Decapoda. They have five pairs of walking legs (the first of which is modified into a pair of claws or chelae) and typically a flattened shell. In all but a few crabs (for example, Raninoida), the abdomen is folded under the cephalothorax. The form of the abdomen usually reveals the sex of the crab; males have a narrow abdomen, while females have a much wider abdomen, under which they carry their eggs. Crabs are a very diverse group, mostly found in saltwater, but with some groups living in freshwater or on land. Although famed for their tendency to walk sideways, crabs are in fact able to walk in any direction. Classification within the crabs is traditionally based on the position of the gonopores: whether they are found on the legs or on the thorax. In the two "primitive" sections (sometimes called collectively the "Podotremata"), the gonopores are found on the legs (as in all other decapods); in the Heterotremata, the male gonopores are on the legs, and the female gonopores are on the sternum; in the Thoracotremata, the gonopores are on the sternum in both males and females.
Sexual dimorphism
Most crabs show clear sexual dimorphism and so can be easily sexed. The abdomen, which is held recurved under the thorax, is narrow in males. In females, however, the abdomen is considerably wider, and retains a greater number of pleopods. This relates to the carrying of the fertilised eggs by the female crabs (as seen in all pleocyemates). In those species in which no such dimorphism is found, the position of the gonopores must be used instead. In females, these are on the third pereiopod, or nearby on the sternum in higher crabs; in males, the gonopores are at the base of the fifth pereiopods or, in higher crabs, on the sternum nearby. More on [ Crab ]
Crab :: Shellfish
Crab :: Shellfish
Harissa, mon amour
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:26:34 -0700
North Africa's favorite chile sauce is fiery, but also wonderfully nuanced. What's not to love, this September 2007 article asks. This is an ode to harissa. It's replaced my ketchup, my salsa picante, even (gasp) my Louisiana hot sauce. I put it on everything. Well, not exactly everything, but the potent North African chile sauce goes into my bean soups and sandwiches, it spikes my aioli and tops my pizzas. I even take it on road trips, as a kind of food insurance, where it's done wonders for roadside hamburgers and omelets, even stadium Dodger dogs.
Entertaining with an entree-free dinner
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:30:14 -0700
The starters will last all night at this small-plates party. You gather with family and friends in the evening as the heat of the day starts to fade and the first cool ocean breezes begin to blow in, thick and sweet as honey. The bright white light of afternoon gradually dims to twilight's shades of blue and gray. In the air hangs the summer garden smells of baked earth and herbs.
Sprinkles is frosted over cupcake newcomer Sprinkled Pink
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The Beverly Hills-based chain, which has taken legal action against other rivals, demands a name change by the Montecito bakery. Starting a business is no piece of (cup)cake. Just ask two of the newest bakeries to open in Southern California.
404
Alaska Dungeness Crab Bisque - Made with flour, chicken broth, butter, and onion.
Crab and Corn Chowder - Calling for potatoes, green pepper, bacon, and light cream.
404
Crab Bisque - Microwave recipe using cream of mushroom soup, lemon, and walnuts.
Crab Bisque - Combines chicken broth, cayenne pepper, onion, butter, and light cream.
Crab Bisques, Chowders, and Soups - Presents a collection with nutritional data provided.
Meta Description: [ Course and Soups and Main Ingredient and Seafood and Crab 161 Recipes | Recipezaar - Recipezaar: Where the World's Recipes Are ]
Crab Gumbo - Recipe calling for tomatoes, okra, chili powder, and rice.
Crab Tomato Bisque - Using white wine, tomato soup, and milk.
Meta Description: [ Ingredient listing and instructions on how to make Crab Tomato Bisque. Part of our over 225,000 recipe database. ]
Drunken Crab Bisque - Made with milk, heavy cream, and Scotch whiskey.
Easy Corn and Crab Chowder - Combines potatoes, milk, white wine, and boullion.
Meta Description: [ Creamed corn and crab meat intermingle with white wine, small bits of bacon, and cubes of potatoes in this soup. Try the chicken curry variation for a more piquant experience. ]
Low-fat Crab Chowder - Calling for imitation crab, corn, potatoes, sherry, and skim milk.
Maryland Crab-corn Stew - Made with green pepper, tomato, and potato.
Meta Description: [ Ingredient listing and instructions on how to make Maryland Crab-corn Stew. Part of our over 225,000 recipe database. ]
404
Tomato - Basil Crab Bisque - Recipe using canned tomato sauce, chicken broth, and heavy cream.
Velvet Corn Soup With Crab Meat - Contains ginger, chicken broth, cornstarch, sherry, and eggs.
Meta Description: [ Ingredient listing and instructions on how to make Velvet Corn Soup with Crab Meat. Part of our over 225,000 recipe database. ]
| invasion of crabs in an isle located north west of Australia, millions of crabs migrate to this island to give birth to ... | |
| Next Video | |
