Mud Crab

Where Caught

Found
Found and caught

Map of Australia showing where Mud Crab are found and caught.

When Caught

Year round, with peak supply from January through April in Queensland and New South Wales, and from May through August in the Northern Territory

Important Features

Wild/Farmed: Wild
Habitat: Estuarine
Recovery Rate: Flesh (from claws and body): 25% of total weight

Mud Crab Research

FRDC provides a comprehensive search of the latest research papers and images on Mud Crab

Remarks

Mud crabs are mostly sold live due to their ability to survive out of water for days. Live mud crabs are tied with a cord and should be handled with care if released as the powerful claws can inflict serious injury.

The flesh quality varies with season.

Minimum size restrictions apply; these differ between states and, in Western Australia, differ for the two mud crab species. Females in-berry (i.e. carrying eggs) are protected in New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and all females are protected in Western Australia and Queensland.

Imports

Nil

Common Size

15.5 17 cm

Overseas Names

J: nokogiri gazami

Alternatives

blue swimmer crab, freshwater crayfish, rocklobster, spanner crab

Grading

Grading can vary by supplier and region. One grading system is presented below.

Mud Crab Scylla serrata

Photograph by Don Tuma

Nutrition Facts

per 100g of raw product

Kilojoules	372* (89* Calories)
Cholesterol	45 mg
Sodium	355* mg
Total fat (oil)	0.7 g
Saturated fat	31% of total fat
Monounsaturated fat	31% of total fat
Polyunsaturated fat	38% of total fat
Omega-3, EPA	22 mg
Omega-3, DHA	58 mg
Omega-6, AA	15 mg

Data presented are for giant mud crab.

*unconfirmed identification

Cooking Ideas

Bake	Boil	Deep Fry
Grill/barbecue	Poach	Raw
Roe	Roe & Milk	Salted
Shallow Fry	Smoke	Steam/microwave

Note: Cooking Ideas identified by dark bold text are relevant to this species

The mud crab is one of the best shellfish you could wish for. Its moist meat, mostly found in the body and claws, has a marvellous distinct and sweet flavour.

The mud crab is one of the best seafoods for presentation, with graceful legs and ornate claws that can be kept whole and used as a garnish. A crab claw protruding from a bowl of hearty mud crab bisque can be very appealing to the eye.

One of the best cooking methods is to steam, boil or poach mud crabs in salted water (25 g of salt per litre), then season with lemon, black pepper, garlic and onion. The crab can be finished off for the final dish by a variety of methods including barbecuing or pan-frying. Be careful not to overcook the crab in the initial stages, when adding a little vinegar will make the meat easier to remove.

Mud crab is delicious in soups and bisques, or as a filling for seafood tortellini. In a salad, dress with light vinaigrettes using flavoured oils such as walnut, and cascade the flesh over a mound of curly endive with a selection of citrus fruits. Mud crab can also be served whole on a platter, often feeding a number of people.

Never put live crabs directly into boiling water or the meat will toughen and the legs or claws may fall off. Kill them before cooking.

Flavour: Medium to Strong
Oiliness: Low
Moisture: Moist
Texture: Medium to Firm
Flesh Colour: Translucent when raw and white to off-white when cooked. The shell turns red when cooked.
Price: Mud crabs are high-priced crabs.
Edibility: Flesh from the large claws, legs and body and some internal organs such as the roe

Suggested Wines

The accompanying wine should not overpower the sweetness of the flavour of the mud crab, although there is a strength of flavour that would be complemented by some of the unwooded, dry white styles.

Suitable examples include semillons from New South Wales, or chardonnays from Western Australia.

The pronounced flavour of mud crab bisque allows for more robust flavours in the wine, such as those of wooded chardonnays.

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