king crab

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Animals & Nature

king crab

crustacean

Also known as: Alaskan king crab, Japanese crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Category: Animals & Nature

Also called:: Alaskan king crab, or Japanese crab

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king crab, (Paralithodes camtschaticus), marine crustacean of the order Decapoda, class Malacostraca. This edible crab is found in the shallow waters off Japan, along the coast of Alaska, and in the Bering Sea. The king crab is one of the largest crabs, weighing 5 kg (11 pounds) or more. Its size and tasty flesh make it a valued food, and large numbers are commercially fished each year.

The name king crab is also used for members of the arthropod order Xiphosura, which is commonly called horseshoe crab (q.v.).

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This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.