crab · The Trophy Room
Blue Swimmer Crab
The Australian summer on a plate. The blue swimmer — "blueys" — are the sand-flat crab of warm southern shores, named for the flattened paddle at the back of each rear leg that lets them swim sideways through the shallows. Sweeter and more delicate than a Dungeness, and a whole culture of scooping and potting built around them.
Identifying
- broad shell drawn out into a long sharp spine on each side
- paddle-shaped rear legs for swimming — the mark of the Portunus swimming crabs
- males flushed bright blue on the claws and legs; females muddier green-brown
- long, powerful nipping claws — handle from the back
Facts
- true swimmers — those back paddles move them through open water, unlike a bottom-walking Dungeness
- caught by scoop net, drop net, and pot across the shallow sand and seagrass flats
- size and bag limits and female protections apply just like at home — check the local rules
