Jonah Crab

Common Name:

Jonah Crab

Scientific Name:

Cancer borealis

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Sourcing Summary

4-5 in.

Jonah crab are fished year-round, but landings tend to be slightly heavier in the fall. Flaky white Jonah crabmeat has a sweet taste and is available fresh year-round. Cooked Jonah crab comes in packs of leg, body, or combination meat and the whole claws sold separately. Jonah “snap-‘n-eats” are pre-cooked, pre-cracked crab claws. This crabmeat tends to be consistent because there are only a few processors for this fishery. The relatively large claws can be an affordable substitute for stone crab claws, with cooked Jonah ones selling for about half the price. Jonah crabmeat can be substituted or blended with more expensive crabmeat to make value-added seafood products such as crab cakes and stuffed flounder. Check the leg-to-body meat ratio periodically since that impacts the price of Jonah crab. Male Jonah crab from Canada tend to be about an inch larger (5") compared to those landed in the U.S. (4").

Harvest Methods

Wild

Pot/Trap

Product Forms

Fresh

  • Cocktail Claws
  • Meat (cooked)
  • Whole Cooked

Frozen

  • Claw Meats
  • Cocktail Claws
  • Meat (cooked)
  • Whole
Fresh Seasonal Availability
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Culinary Composition

Flavor

Mild
Sweet
Strong

Texture

Delicate
Medium
Firm

Oil

Low
Medium
High

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 100 Grams
Amount per serving
  • Calories
    99.00
  • Total Fat
    1.90
    g
  • Cholesterol
    76.00
    mg
  • Sodium
    276.00
    mg
  • Carbohydrates
    3.10
    g
  • Protein
    16.00
    g

Cooking Methods

Advisory Concern

Biology

Jonah crabs have a round shell with small light spots, and claws with dark brown-black tips. The largest male reported had a carapace width of 22 cm; while females rarely exceed 15 cm. Jonah crabs reach maturity at larger sizes in more northern habitats, with males at 13 cm carapace width, and females at 9 cm. The species are known to move to areas of preferred temperature, in order to better regulate their body temperature. Their neural circuits compensate for temperature variations, as each phase that produces certain behaviors (such as walking or chewing) is temperature-independent. Females move offshore in the fall and winter and inshore in late spring and summer. Jonah crabs eat mainly blue mussels, as well as arthropods, snails, algae, and other mussels.

Species Habitat

Jonah crabs are found along the Atlantic coast of North America from Nova Scotia, Canada to the Dry Tortugas, Florida. They are generally found at depths of 164 to 984 feet (50 to 300 meters) and can even be found up to 2,625 feet (800 meters) deep. The life cycle of Jonah crab is poorly understood and little studied; however, what research there is has determined that their preferred habitat ranges from rocky substrates, with cover and crevices, in coastal and offshore areas to softer, silt and clay bottoms along the continental slope. While little is known about their movements and migration patterns, it is widely believed Jonah crab migrate in the spring to shallower waters and will return offshore to deeper, colder waters during the fall and winter. Most research has indicated the ideal temperature for Jonah crabs is between 46 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit (8 and 12 degrees Celsius).

Science & Management:
  • Science: 

    There is little scientific research or monitoring of bycatch in the Jonah crab fishery. A 2014 study done at the Department of Biology and Marine Science Center at Northeastern University looked at the thermoregulatory behavior of Jonah crab. They found that the crabs will self-regulate their body temperature and will adjust the direction and magnitude of their movements towards their preferred temperature range. The range is impacted by a previous acclimation to a certain temperature; however, the study found that, in all cases, the crabs prefer temperatures warmer than those they had been living in previously. Because of their sensitivity to temperature, Jonah crabs are often studied as a model species for warming ocean temperatures.

    Management: 

    The US Jonah crab fishery is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) under the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (IFMP) for Jonah crab. Approved in 2015, and implemented in 2016, the IFMP was prompted by the American Lobster Board due to concerns regarding the recent and rapid increase of Jonah crab landings in the American lobster fishery. Historically, Jonah crabs have been considered a nuisance bycatch in the lobster fishery and used to supplement operational cost for these fishers. In recent years a directed fishery has emerged for both Jonah and rock crabs as abundance and market demand have increased. The majority of Jonah crabs are harvested by lobster fishers using lobster traps and occur in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

    The IFMP establishes a singular management unit for Jonah crab from Maine through Virginia – encompassing the entire Northwest Atlantic and adjacent inshore waters. The plan creates a uniform program for fishers and aims to promote conservation, reduce the possibility of recruitment failure, and allow full utilization of the resource. Among measures the IFMP establishes are:

    • A 4.75” minimum size limit
    • Restrictions prohibiting the take of egg-bearing females and partial claws
    • Trip limits
    • Gear restrictions (all traps must adhere to the Lobster Management Plan and have trap tag and escape vent requirements)
    • 100 percent harvester and dealer reporting
    • Limiting participation in the direct fishery to vessels and permit holders who already hold a lobster permit (or can prove participation in the crab fishery before June 2015)

    The US Jonah crab fishery is not a federally regulated fishery and there have been no federal stock assessments conducted for the species. As no coast-wide stock assessment has been undertaken yet, there is no definition of overfishing for Jonah crab. While little information is available regarding the stock status of Jonah crab and the impact of the fishery, the ASMFC intends to develop a research strategy to gather this information and it is considered a high priority for the future. 

    The ASMFC and American Lobster Management Board are generally responsible for carrying out all activities under the IFMP with the Management Board establishing and overseeing the activities of the following:

    • A Jonah Crab Advisory Panel that will meet annually (or as necessary) to review management changes and developments in the fishery;
    • A Jonah Crab Technical Committee that will review stock assessment development once that information is available and will forward recommendations to the Management Board;
    • A Jonah Crab Stock Assessment Subcommittee that will meet every five years to review and update or preform a benchmark stock assessment for Jonah crab; and,
    • A Jonah Crab Plan Review Team that will review implementation of the management program annually and will work to prioritize future research needs. 

    The American Lobster Management Board is also responsible for reviewing state compliance with the IFMP.

    The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada manages the Canadian Jonah crab fishery. Jonah crabs have traditionally been caught as bycatch in the Canadian inshore and offshore lobster fisheries; however, in the 1990s exploratory fisheries emerged as market demand for Jonah crab grew in Canada. In 2000 a permanent fishery was established and in 2004 all exploratory crab permits became permanent commercial licenses. As of 2010, there has been little to no commercial activity in the Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) due to a decline in abundance and therefore low catch rates as well as low market demand and price. The offshore Jonah crab fishery is inactive and most landings in that region are from the bycatch and bait fisheries for lobster. 

Wild

Impact on Stock

These crabs are usually found in the western North Atlantic, with the primary source in the United States and have medium abundance since there is very little biological data available on them. Segregation by sex and size could make the crab vulnerable to fishing pressure, while the fecundity is on the higher side. The crab is susceptible to environmental variables, so its population varies.

Habitat Impacts

Most Jonah crabs are caught with pots and traps intended to catch lobster, which have relatively little impact on the marine habitat. The areas where the crab is caught vary, with some being more sensitive and others more resilient to interactions with pots.

Bycatch

Jonah crab were once an annoying bycatch in the lobster fishery because they stole the bait, but now the crab have become a valuable commercial catch on their own. Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales sometimes get entangled in the lines connecting traps or pots together, making that a continuing environmental concern for the Jonah crab fishery.

Management Effectiveness

Individual states manage the fishery in the U.S. while the Canadian government manages them in that country. Measures in both regions include minimum size limits; sex restrictions so that no females can be caught, seasonal closures, limited entry access, and bycatch provisions. However, since the Jonah crab fishery only emerged relatively recently, little scientific assessment has been done on it and there are currently no quotas.

Farmed
Origin Harvest Method Sustainability Ratings
Canada - Atlantic Pot/Trap
Seafood Watch- Avoid
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
Unassessed Origin Unassessed Fishing Methods
Seafood Watch- Unrated
Ocean Wise- Unrated
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
USA - Atlantic Pots
Seafood Watch- Avoid
Ocean Wise- Not Recommended
Good Fish Guide - Unrated
Name Country State/Province
Atlantic Red Crab Company United States Massachusetts
Foley Fish United States Massachusetts
Gidney Fisheries Limited Canada Nova Scotia
Gulf of Maine, Inc. United States Maine
Imperial Seafood and Shellfish Inc. United States Ohio
Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood Canada British Columbia
J.P.'s Shellfish, Inc. United States Maine
John Nagle Co. United States Massachusetts
Lusamerica Foods United States, United States, United States California
M&B Sea Products, Inc. United States Massachusetts
Maine Shellfish Company United States Maine
McRoberts Sales Co., Inc. United States, United States Florida
Pacific Harvest Seafoods United States California
Pangea Shellfish Company United States Massachusetts
Port Clyde Fresh Catch United States Maine
Profish Ltd. United States District of Columbia
Royal Hawaiian Seafood United States California
Sammy's Seafood Inc United States Florida
Samuels & Son Seafood Company, Inc. United States Pennsylvania
Santa Monica Seafood, Inc. United States California
Sea to Table, USA United States New York
Seafood Garden United States Massachusetts
Steve Connolly Seafood Company Inc. United States Massachusetts
Sustainable Seafood Sales, LLC. United States Maine
The Lobster Place Wholesale Seafood United States New York
Whitecap International Seafood Exporters Canada Newfoundland and Labrador

Acknowledgements

  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO)
  • Marine Stewardship Council
  • NOAA Fisheries
  • Seafood Watch Program
  • SeafoodSource
Last Updated: 8/7/2020