Spanner Crabs: Wild caught in Australian coastal waters. Are spanner crabs good to eat? "Spanner crab in particular has a clean oceanic taste, and is much gentler in flavour than mud crab," says Josh Niland of Sydney's Saint Peter. "It has wonderful sweet meat that's easy to work with." SPECIES DESCRIPTION Available wild-caught, these marine dwellers are found from close inshore to at least 100m, usually buried in sand from where they attack small bottom-dwelling fish. Their long, almost goblet-shaped, bright orange shells (even when uncooked) and spanner-shaped front claws are quite distinctive. Found around most of the Australian coast they are caught commercially, mainly using dillies or crab pots. OTHER NAMES Frog Crab, Red Frog Crab, Kona Crab (USA). FAMILY Raninidae (Spanner Crabs). SEASON Available from January to October, peaking from July to October with the fishery closed for most of December. SIZE AND WEIGHT Commonly about 8.5cm in carapace width and 400g, but can grow to 15cm and 900g. RELATIONS Only commercially fished member of the Raninidae family. The shell is burgundy-orange even when uncooked, turning a brighter orange when cooked. The flesh is translucent when raw and white when cooked, it has a distinctive, sweet flavour, low oiliness and is soft and moist. Australia catch is exported (mostly live). Live export: Exported live in 11 kilo cartons, which are packed in an AKE aircraft can, 60 boxes providing 660 kilos of live Spanner crabs the whole AKE temperature is maintained using dry ice, and reduces handling problems, going direct from supplier to end user, arriving in good condition. Also available Frozen: Frozen whole or without shell meat only They can also be supplied Frozen whole or Meat only packs retail and food service. Retail 150 grams Food service packs 500 grams