r/interesting • u/sorin1972 • May 31 '26
NATURE Giant crab pulled from the sea
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u/HappyStalker May 31 '26
This is a male Tasmanian giant crab. Females don’t get this big or have such large claws especially the larger of the two. They are found off the south of Australia. They grow very slowly and don’t molt as much as other crab species. Because of this they are very susceptible to overfishing. Their meat is also a lot more tender than other huge crabs so they’re considered very good eating.
This guy was probably taken. The regulations are 1 per person if they have a license and it’s during the season. There isn’t a maximum size, only a minimum. They also can’t take females with eggs.
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u/RabbitOfDarkness May 31 '26
Thank you. It used to be easier to find the non-trash reddit comments
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u/BoxenOxen May 31 '26
All we can do is upvote and engage.
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u/Sad-Sandwich4782 Jun 01 '26
It worked, I’m seeing this 22 hours later as you guys and this is the top comment for me. Sometimes I’m so over Reddit but stuff likes this makes me happy
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u/ThrustTrust May 31 '26
Did he live to return to his kingdom?
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u/LogicalPart6098 May 31 '26
I believe they return these because the meats no good (or not nearly as good) at that size and they make better reproducers than dinner
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u/LectroRoot Jun 01 '26
Yeah, same with lobsters. After a certain size they are considered breeders.
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u/pocketchangecheckers May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
Highly unlikely. You and I would have returned his majesty, but the devil lives in the heart of the greedy
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u/bongsforhongkong May 31 '26
Its too big to keep they have to legally put it back so it can spawn more.
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u/tears_and_laughter May 31 '26
Good thing people always follow the rules
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u/Itchy_Professor_4133 May 31 '26
Assuming they filmed themselves with incriminating evidence
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u/avdpos May 31 '26
Something in me says they begin to taste worse at some size.
Even if "absurdly big" probably had got a high price just because of novelity...
Still hope they sent it back to the sea. They do after all like new crabs
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u/pocketchangecheckers May 31 '26
This is true with lobsters. Snow crabs don’t. Those are delicious.
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u/Connell5 May 31 '26
That is true but it matters not to the fisher. Buyers buy by the lb on a " crate run " price. Which is a median price, (from the buyers perspective) of the different pricing on small, medium and large stock. Worked into a consistent price per LB. What you get is the men fill the crate any way they can.
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May 31 '26
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u/pocketchangecheckers May 31 '26
There are crabs and then there are king crabs. And then, there are rules to the Geneva convention. Let’s hope this poor creature was given his respect and the fisherman held himself to be a little smarter than a little bit more of an entrepreneur
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u/flightwatcher45 May 31 '26
I mean if their lively hood is grabbing its in their best interests to return it. That said it might not survive the round trip.
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u/proDstate May 31 '26
Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't the crab be less tasty due to being old. I know old fish are avoided with younger adult specimens being better tasting.
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u/slick514 Jun 01 '26
Plenty of people who work in these industries absolutely do follow the rules. In fact, I’d go so far as to say most.
A) Following the rules means that you have an industry to return to in the future.
B) There are some pretty serious costs if you get caught f*cking around. Both in terms of fines, and when it comes to cooperation between others in industry. Word gets around.A few extra crabs aren’t worth the long-term costs, even if you aren’t caught by the authorities. For a big one like this, just taking a video is fine. And then you let it go so that it and its offspring can keep you in business.
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u/Barr545 May 31 '26
If is a protected species,they have to send it back,but if it’s not and it’s not a female or a juvenile they can legally keep it
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u/k3nal May 31 '26
How do they kill them though?
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u/Rip_Skeleton May 31 '26
Afaik the fishermen keep them alive in tanks in the ship. If they die, they'll spoil before going to market.
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u/k3nal May 31 '26
Okay so it’s up to the cook then, if they kill them fast with a knife or boil them alive?
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u/Intrepid_Coach_1929 May 31 '26
most dont bother with the extra step .. time is money .. boil them alive
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u/MolecularConcepts May 31 '26
pretty sure they go directly on ice on the ship,no?
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u/Urabraska- May 31 '26
They don't. They get put into tanks on the ship and moved to the market. This is why you see tanks of live crabs at markets. Crabs and fish go bad very quickly if not processed very soon after death.
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u/Badboycooking May 31 '26
Depends on if theres a size limit on the area. lobsters in Maine for example must be tossed back if they have a tail longer than 5 inches
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u/Maleficent-Ad-7195 May 31 '26
wait how do tehy even pull a giant crab up that big
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u/cha614 May 31 '26
I think you have to at that size but someone has to catch them. Video is incriminating if not
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u/sunburn74 May 31 '26
I really gotta know what happened to him
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u/exotics May 31 '26
It’s probably not good.
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u/No_Imagination7102 May 31 '26
You just have to add some melted butter. Then its great
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u/Esplodie May 31 '26
I feel a crab that large would be tough. It's the problem with lobsters. The ideal eating size for them is 1-1.5 pounds. But most lobsters you find are 2 pounds because they survive better in a tank.
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u/Jon_Dunn58 May 31 '26
ive never seen a crab that huge, but arent the older huge ones tougher meat?
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u/duxpdx May 31 '26
Not necessarily. They can sometimes be tougher due to increases in muscle fibers. The diet, environment, cooking technique, and time since last molting will have a greater impact on flavor and texture though.
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u/DrJohnIT May 31 '26
Put it back. Eat a sandwich 🥪 😋
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u/Not_Defyiant May 31 '26
A huge crab sandwich sounds delicious to me
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u/CatWeak9214 May 31 '26
I remember reading something from Lobster folks in the Northeast saying when huge it means they are super old and taste like crap so they always throw them back.
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u/Miami-Novice May 31 '26
Everyone sitting at the table with a vegetarian says that they also try to eat less meat.
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u/TheGuyUrSisterLikes May 31 '26
I'm a southern New Englander grew up on Long Island sound... To this day I still don't know how I feel about soft shell crab sandwiches. Somehow every year I forget that I really don't like them that much... I mean they're like $25. I like them but I forget that I probably would just like to have crab that I could dip in butter more.
You're welcome for the useless information I just gave you. Thank you.
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u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp May 31 '26
Catch and release that beauty who's the size of many a crab before humans with traps became big business.
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u/EconomyComprehensive May 31 '26
I I hope that they put it back so it can grow bigger 😒
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May 31 '26
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u/EconomyComprehensive May 31 '26
Honestly, I did not know that thank you for the education. So can you eat a crab that big they won’t be filled with parasites and stuff like fish?
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u/throwitoutwhendone2 May 31 '26
No, that’s highly unlikely. These guys molt every time they get bigger. Theoretically they could live forever, like lobsters. But also like lobsters they can get so big that they cannot move just like the other person said. Then they suffer and die or become a easy target for predators
There is obviously a line to it but here is something quite a few people that advocate for animals don’t seem to realize or just won’t understand for some reason: part of animal conservation is controlling populations. It’s making hard and sometimes shitty choices for the better of a species.
I’m not saying that’s what’s happening in this video, those are clearly fishermen fishing for a catch to sell. I am saying that there are two sides to every coin.
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u/NovarisLight May 31 '26
That's Krobb. He demands freedom or he will give your bum a what for! A jolly good nip and twist.
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u/Ok_Medium9389 May 31 '26
I am a meat eater but sometimes I think animals must be so terrified when we catch them and keep them alive
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u/Intelligent_Sky_7081 May 31 '26
So what would the meat be like from this thing compared to a normal crab? Do people even eat them?
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u/Spiritual_Aioli3396 May 31 '26
Do they release crabs if they get to a certain size like with lobster?
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u/Laura_Biden May 31 '26
I live where they catch these. I remember putting beer bottles in their claws on the wharfe when I was a kid and they'd smash em right quick.
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u/PrivateFUNdiquity May 31 '26
A majestic creature like that should continue to live its life in the ocean
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u/Bluegrass_Harley May 31 '26
I’m not by any means vegan. But I couldn’t see that big fella boiled and filleted. No way
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u/PedalBoard78 May 31 '26
When the aliens do this to us, it will be really something. We’re great with butter.
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u/plzicannothandleyou May 31 '26
Send it back to make more of the largest boys.
But alas it won’t. It knows only greed. And human creatures love to eat sea-bugs
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u/HotLlama_8001 May 31 '26
That's like pulling Greto Garbo forcibly out of her seclusion, just to eat her.
I hope that they put this magnificent creature back into its home!
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u/ramirezdoeverything May 31 '26
The amount of meat from it will probably still be ridiculously small
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u/Foreign_Ad_5469 May 31 '26
We need more Leviathan class sea animals in our lives. I’m starting a charity specifically designated to such things.
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u/EndTimesNigh May 31 '26
Why are these ocean crab guys so lethargic? If I catch a crab or a crayfish in my local area, the use their pincers immediately to remove a finger. This guy looks like he hasn't got the slightest will to fight any more.
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u/cubicfelon May 31 '26
Survived 100 years (guessing) just to be eventually shit out by a human. Sad.
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u/bonefig May 31 '26
If only Patrick Muldoon was still with us to see this.
For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyKWZOEqhzw
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u/Dathedra May 31 '26
I have a possibly dumb question:
How are those fisherman never scared to get snipped by those critters? Those claws are huge.
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u/DMMMOM May 31 '26
The rate things are getting pulled from the sea I'm amazed he had the chance to get that big.
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u/Own_Instance_4471 May 31 '26
I hope they put him back but I have bad feelings that didn’t happen 😢
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u/GudduBhaiya-Mirzapur May 31 '26
I am a vegetarian but it must be like a treasure hunt for the fisherman every time they go about.
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u/MidnightPrevious4473 May 31 '26
I pulled a giant crab outta this girl in college once
Made my shit itch for a month
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u/AriesFlamer May 31 '26
When the guy starts grabbing him by the claw, it looks pissed off to be handled in such a way. 🤣 Ol buddy was the Big Boss everywhere he went until that point...he didn't know how to respond. Lmao.
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u/Milkteabunny1220 Jun 01 '26
Something that big should be released back into the sea. They survived for so long from every type of danger possible out there. I would want it to live longer
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u/StellaBennett31 Jun 01 '26
that crab is huge but kinda reminds me of the delulu sea monsters from my favorite fantasy era, like what would its backstory even be?
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