King Crab:

The legs of the Alaskan King crab are succulent, slightly sweet, and soft, with snow-white meat and bright red highlights. CrabPlace.com king crab legs, taken from the very finest king crab obtained from the frozen waters of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean, come fully cooked and are easily and quickly prepared by steaming, boiling, or baking.

King crab legs are cooked at sea to preserve their flavours, where they are caught and flash-frozen on fishing vessels. The legs can contain a minimal number of claws. Frozen crab legs that are cooked can be steamed or microwaved. Place them frozen for 6 minutes over boiling water and steam them tightly sealed Or put the frozen crab legs in the damp towel-covered microwave and heat for 5 minutes to defrost. Season to taste, brush with melted butter, and serve with cocktail sauce.

While it might seem harmless enough at a glance to introduce certain organisms to new habitats, there are sometimes unexpected situations that can be devastating to the ecosystem. In the case of the red king crab, in the Barents Sea, where it was introduced, it has become troublesome.

This population has grown largely unregulated for decades, with one of its most important natural predators, the giant Pacific octopus, not present in European waters and is now very numerous. As it is an omnivore, virtually everything in its way will be consumed by the species. According to local fishermen and scientists,’ desserts’ are effectively made, often devoid of native species and life in general.

Recipe of king crab legs:

King crab legs are sold fully cooked and frozen, so all you have to do is thaw them and heat them. With the oven rack set 6-inches away from the sun, turn the oven on the broil. Combine the breadcrumbs, salt, and the optional grated parmesan cheese in a small cup. With a serrated knife, cut the legs lengthwise and brush them with melted butter and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture with them. Broil them for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are hot and golden brown. Before they become piping hot, if the crab legs turn golden brown, put a tented foil over them and move them to a lower oven rack. For a few minutes, let them cook. With a lobster fork and plenty of napkins, serve immediately.

Seasoning note: You can add the breadcrumb mixture with whatever flavors you want to spice up. For an Italian flavor, I especially like adding a dash of dried oregano or rosemary, and for a good old fashioned shore flavor, I add a pinch of paprika.

Predators and Diet:

An omnivorous species, feeding on almost everything it can, is the red king crab. This involves feeding and hunting a number of invertebrate organisms on dead and rotting plant and animal products, using their front limbs to carry and exploit food and prey.

The red king crab can face predation in its native range from a variety of species of sharks, fish, cephalopods, and whales. This mainly depends on their stage of life, with bigger, more mature crabs being much less vulnerable to predation. One of the most voracious predators of crabs in the native range of the red king crab is the giant pacific octopus. Humans also routinely exploit the red king crab, creating one of the world’s largest crab fisheries.

Conservation of king crab:

The red king crab is the focus of a large and valuable fishery that is generally considered well managed and remains in much of its native and introduced range with viable populations. It is not as harmful as other commercial fisheries since this species is usually caught using traps rather than trawling the seabed. The fact that adult members of the species prefer to occupy sandy substrates instead of rocky substrates or other more sensitive habitats further aids this. The species is invasive in many parts of Europe and, in addition to being protected in order to control fisheries, it does not receive any special protection for conservation purposes.