King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Difference and Comparison

King crabs and Dungeness crabs are among the most common crab species you will find on the menu at a seafood restaurant. These two species of crab (king crab vs Dungeness crab) taste delicious and contain nutrients.

Dungeness crabs and king crabs naturally inhabit the waters in North America. King crabs and Dungeness crabs are harvested along the North Pacific- specifically, king crabs inhabit the waters in the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and all the way to the Sea of Japan.

We will be discussing more on the differences between king crab and Dungeness crab in this article, so keep reading to find out the distinctions between these species of crab.

What Are King Crabs?

King crabs are a unique and larger species of crab naturally found in cold seas. Also known as the Alaskan king crab, these crustaceans are caught and sold as food.

They are one of the largest edible crab species sold for the taste of their meat. King crabs have shells covered in sharp spikes with a five-foot leg span (red king crab or Paralithodes camtschaticus).

Other species of king crab can have a leg span of six feet and can weigh up to 6 to 10 pounds. King crabs have two differently-sized claws. There is a small claw which they use for handling food and the larger claw is for crushing prey.

King crabs naturally inhabit the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and all the way to the Sea of Japan.

Currently, there are about 125 known species of king crabs but the most common species sold as food are the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), the blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus), and the golden or brown king crab (Lithodes aequispinus).

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What Are Dungeness Crabs?

Dungeness crabs are also species of crabs that naturally inhabit water bottoms in North America, specifically, the west coast. These species of crabs are also harvested and sold for the taste of their meat.

This species of crab is known to have a smooth, spineless carapace, with shorter legs. Dungeness crabs can grow up to 20 cm (7.9 inches) across the carapace.

Naturally, the carapace widths of mature Dungeness crabs can measure up to 10 inches (25.4 centimetres). This species of crab is named after a fishing village in Dungeness, Washington and they remain one of the most commercially important crab sold in the Pacific Northwest and across the western states.

King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Differences between King Crabs and Dungeness Crabs

Both king crabs and Dungeness crabs are edible species of crabs sold at seafood restaurants. One of the key differences between king crabs and Dungeness crabs is their size.

Besides that, we will be looking at other differences between these crab species.

Appearance

Based on size, king crabs or Alaskan king crabs are larger species of crab compared to Dungeness crabs. King crabs have longer legs that can reach six feet and they can weigh up to 6 to 10 pounds.

The sharp spines covering the body of these crustaceans are one of their distinctive features.

In contrast, Dungeness crabs have shorter legs, with a smooth body and a slightly purple hue.

King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Size

King crabs are among the largest species of crabs with a leg span of six feet and can weigh up to 6 to 10 pounds. Out of the 125 known species of king crab, some can have a limb span of 6 feet and weigh up to 320 pounds.

Dungeness crabs grow to a size that is appropriate for a delicacy. Male Dungeness crabs have shells that can grow up to 9 inches. These species of crabs can weigh up to two pounds but they are commercially harvested between one or half a pound.

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King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Habitats

Naturally, king crabs and Dungeness crabs Dungeness crabs the waters in North America.

King crabs specifically inhabit the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. From the shores of Alaska to British Columbia in Canada, to Russia and all the way to the Sea of Japan, king crabs are found and flourish in frigid waters.

Dungeness crabs prefer to live in the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean, mainly off the coast of Washington, California, and Oregon. They also live as far north as Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and as far south as Baja California in Mexico.

King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Eating Habits

How do these crustaceans survive in the sea and ocean?

The seabed is filled with various creatures both large and small. The smaller sea creatures are a food source for crabs. Crabs do feed on smaller creatures roaming the sea floor.

Smaller species of king crabs often feed on algae, tiny mussels, small worms, and other small invertebrates inhabiting the sea floor.

Larger species of king crabs prefer to feed on sand dollars, sea stars, brittle stars, etc.

Dungeness crabs often prey on molluscs, other crustaceans, fish, and clams.

King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Taste

King crabs and Dungeness crabs are edible species of crabs sold at seafood restaurants. You will find these crustaceans on the menu at most seafood restaurants.

Generally, there isn’t much to eat from the body of a crab but the legs contain the tastiest crabmeat.

Dungeness crabs are species with firmer leg meat and tender body meat. They taste good, with a nutty flavour.

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King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Human Consumption and Price

The price for a pound of king crab is between $60 to $70.

Crabs have been harvested in large numbers and as a result, there has been a decline in crab population in the Bering Sea and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

While a pound of king crab may cost between $60 to $70, the price for Dungeness crabs is between $3.10 and $4 per pound.

According to A-ZAnimals.com, Dungeness crabs harvested off the coast of central and northern California have seen a sudden rise in demand because of the depletion of Alaskan king crabs.

King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: More Key Differences between King Crabs and Dungeness Crabs

	King Crab	Dungeness Crab
Average size	6 to 10 pounds and 5 to 6 feet width	1 to 2 pounds and 9 inches wide
Location/Habitat	Pacific and Artic Ocean	West coast and the Pacific Ocean
Appearance	Brownish to bluish-red	Purplish brown, white-tipped pinchers
Eating habits	Algae, worms, small fishes, mussels	Crustacean, clams, and fish
Life expectancy	Can live up to 30b years	Can live up to 10 years
Price	Between $60 to $70 per pound	Between $3.20 to $40 per pound

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King Crab vs Dungeness Crab: Crab Cooking Tips

King crabs and Dungeness crabs are delicacies served at seafood restaurants. These crustaceans can be prepared in different ways.

So, let’s look at some tips for cooking crabs.

Thawing: Now, before you start cooking, you need to thaw the crab’s legs. You can thaw your crabs in the refrigerator throughout the night or you can put them in a bowl filled with cold water for like an hour.
Steaming: This is one of the easiest methods to cook crabs. Just place the crab’s legs in a steamer basket over boiling water, and then cover it for about eight to ten minutes. This will give you a perfectly cooked crab leg.
Grilling: Grilling crustaceans adds a good smoky flavour to the crab meat. What you have to do is brush the crab’s leg with butter or oil and then grill for about four to five minutes on each side.
Boiling: You can also use the boiling method to prepare your crab. Allow the water inside the pot to boil before you add the carb’s leg. The legs should boil for about four to five minutes.

Conclusion

King crabs and Dungeness crabs are harvested along the North Pacific- specifically, king crabs inhabit the waters in the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and all the way to the Sea of Japan.

Both king crabs and Dungeness crabs are edible species of crabs sold at seafood restaurants.

Recommendations

References

Wikipedia: King crab
MasterClass: King Crab vs. Dungeness Crab: How Do the Crabs Compare?
A-ZAnimals: Dungeness Crab vs King Crab: What are 6 Key Differences?
RedCrabSeafood: KING CRAB VS DUNGENESS CRAB – THE BEST PICK FOR MAKING CRAB LEGS