The King Crab Family Just Got Bigger!

Four New Species Found.

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2009) — Sally Hall, a PhD student at the University of Southampton’s School of Ocean and Earth Science (SOES) at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS) has formally described four new species of king crab, all from the deep sea.

King Crab Paralomis Nivosa

Hall discovered the new species in the Smithsonian Collections of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington. Explaining the significance of the find, she said: “King crabs include some of the largest crustaceans currently inhabiting Earth and are fished by humans, particularly from the shallower waters of the polar regions. The new discoveries increase the total number of king crab species known to 113.”

The new species are Paralomis nivosa from the Philippines, P. makarovi from the Bering Sea, P. alcockiana from South Carolina, and Lithodes galapagensis from the Galapagos archipelago — the first and only king crab species yet recorded from the seas around the Galapagos Islands. P. nivosa and P. makarovi came from previously unidentified samples collected in the early part of the twentieth century by the US Bureau of Fisheries steamer, Albatross.

Lithodes Galapagensis

King crabs were first formally described in 1819. They are now known from sub-tidal waters at high latitudes, but deep-sea species occur in most of the world’s oceans, typically living at depths between 500 and 1500 meters.

“We are only now beginning to understand the incredible diversity of animals living in the deep sea,” said Hall: “It is incredible that the Albatross collection is still yielding new information, even though it is over 100 years since this survey of deep-sea life began.”

It is now clear that species of deep-sea king crab live in most areas of the world’s oceans, but many more species remain to be discovered. “The oceans off eastern Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean are all particularly poorly sampled,” said Hall: “We need to know which king crab species live where before we can fully understand their ecology and evolutionary success.”

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This work was supported by the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (MarBEF) EU Network of Excellence.

Oregon Seafood King Crab Music Video

Oregon Seafood is located: 1167 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy.  Hillsboro, Oregon   97123    503-693-7222

Discover a Great Method of Cooking Your King Crab Legs!

King Crab from Oregon Seafood for Your Dinner Table!

First prepare them by thawing either in the refrigerator or placing under the running water. After the crab legs are thawed, they can be cooked by steaming, baking or grilling.

How to Cook King Crab Legs
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King crab, also known as stone crab, are a favorite food for those, who fancy seafood recipes. The white meat of king crabs is rich in proteins and contains low carbohydrates and fats. As the name signifies, this variety of crabs is enormous in size. Some crab species have a leg span about 6 feet and weigh about 8 kg. The characteristic feature of king crabs is that they possess only 6 legs, while other crabs have 8 legs. As of now, about 40 species of king crabs have been identified, out of which some are consumed as food.

Cooking King Crab and Recipes

The most widely eaten species are golden king crab, red king crab and blue king crab. Among them, red king crab is the most expensive and sought after species. The Alaskan fishing for king crab is the major source for supplying the demand of the king crab industry worldwide. The delicious meat of king crabs can be used for the preparation of appetizers, soups, salads, stewed recipes and quick microwave dishes. While cooking the king crabs, one can make use of mushrooms, spinach, other vegetable ingredients and lots of seasonings to increase the flavor of the dish.

Cooking King Crab Legs

While speaking about the cooking and preparation of king crab legs, they are packaged after being cooked and blast frozen in order to retain its taste. Hence, the preparation of king crab legs requires proper heating by using various ingredients. There is no need to add salt while cooking and steaming king crab legs, as they are already treated with brine solution during packaging.

As the king crabs are already cooked, they require less time for cooking. The only time consuming preparatory step is thawing the frozen crab legs. You can thaw them by keeping in the refrigerator at least for 8 hours. Another tip to thaw them quickly is placing them under the running water. Following are some of the popular and tasty ways of cooking king crab legs:

King Crab Leg Steaming
For steaming the king crab legs, heat water in a large saucepan and bring it to boil. Make sure that you add enough water to dip the crab legs. Place a rack in the saucepan and add the Alaskan king crab legs. Cover with a lid and cook for about 6-7 minutes. Remove the cooked crab legs and serve with melted butter and lemon.

King Crab Leg Baking
For cooking whole king crab legs without breaking them, you can consider baking them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. For tasty baking, place the already thawed crab legs in a shallow baking pan and add hot water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven, till the legs are cooked well.

King Crab Leg Grilling
In case you are preparing the crab legs after splitting them, brush lightly with olive oil and grill them in medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Turn over, brush with olive oil again and grill for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the grilled crab legs and serve with butter, sauce or light dip curry and lots of seasonings. 

Oregon Seafood is located: 1167 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy.  Hillsboro, Oregon   97123    503-693-7222

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Learn How to Buy Your King Crab Legs!

King Crab is a very Popular Dish for Your Dinner Table.

Buying King Crab

The best way to buy King Crab is to individually select the pieces to purchase instead of buying a frozen, prepackaged box or bagged pieces. They will often put the joints(no legs attached) of King Crab in to bulk out the weight. These are not choice selections, as the meat is small and often the saltiest part of the crab. The best situation is when the King Crab is displayed on crushed ice. That way you can select the legs with the joints attached and not get stuck with pieces.

.Select the biggest legs you can find and a few with the large claws attached for visual impact. The claws, while containing large pieces of meat, are not always the most succulent, juicy pieces. Select legs that are intact, red, and free of marks indicating injury or disease. Legs should be frozen and fresh smelling; not overwhelmingly fishy.

Keep in mind these legs are fully cooked shortly after catching the crabs and flash frozen. Keep frozen until ready to use. Handle with care as the spines are sharp and will scratch you.

Ask the manager of Oregon Seafood when the stock shipment arrives and when items are stocked. Inquire about specials, are any planned, if so when will they begin and what the planned prices are. (continued)

Be a frequent shopper and get to know the staff at the stores you frequent we hope it’s Oregon Seafood in Hillsboro OR. Be kind. Not only is the best policy as an inhabitant of planet Earth; you will be remembered by staff and they will want to help you more than someone they have no cause to remember. This Goes a long way, especially in a smaller Seafood Market like Oregon Seafood. They will cut the fish just the way you like it. All you have to do is say Please.

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Oregon Seafood is located: 1167 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy.  Hillsboro, Oregon   97123    503-693-7222