Crab Cetárea Tazones

Known as ñocla and noca in Asturias, masera in Cantabria, etc. This crustacean of the Cancridae family receives different names depending on the geographical area. It is a large crab and one of the most widely used crustaceans for human consumption. It is characterized by its oval, smooth shell (with lobed edges), wider than it is long, (reddish on the dorsal side and whitish on the ventral side), and by its first pair of legs, which end in robust and strong pincers with large, rounded, dark-colored teeth at the ends. The abdomen of the male is less bulging than that of the female, and its pincers are much larger. Its marketing characteristics are similar to those of the spider crab.