Anyone know where there's a good visual guide to identifying Puget Sound crab species? I was under the impression that dungeness and red rock crabs were the only eating size ones legal to keep, but I've seen people keeping what look to my eyes to be undersize or even female dungeness and claiming that they're 'green crab'. I looked up green crabs, and the only thing I could find is the department of wildlife page on the invasive pest European green crab, which I know that these are not. Now I know crab have varying coloration, so is there anything I can point to specifically to show these people that they really are dungeness and not legal to keep?

Here is a link to a sight that shows a good variety of local crabs. The crabs there keeping are most likely pacific graceful crab (cancer gracilis) they are very commonly confused with dungeness and do not get as big but taste great none the less. The only difference is there legs are typically more purple and they have what is called a diagnostic tooth behind the widest point in the shell.

http://www.unlv.edu/Colleges/Sciences/Biology/McGaw/CRABS.HTM

Thanks for the link. That is useful information.

Although they are edible, green crabs aren't often actively pursued by crabbers. Also, they don't get very big, only to 3-4". Green crabs in Puget Sound spells trouble for other species of crab such as Dungeness. And actually I believe that the WDFW is doing a survey of green crab distribution, so if you catch one, take note of where you caught it, time of day, rain or shine, it's size, sex, water depth, number caught and so forth.
Personally I'd also rip their claws off and throw them back into the water so as to make them easy prey for large predators. And if you're inclined to kill them, more power to ya!

If you are talking about the little nasty green crab that devours everything..... in Oregon, you are supposed to report it if you catch any of those.

Well, after throwing a few million pounds of the critters into live tanks, I've decided that the easiest way to discern males from females, regardless of size, is turn them over and look for the part of the shell that looks like a d*i*c*k ...happens to be part of the shell that is and CAN, but shouldn't be pulled away and looks like a penile member. Can I say PENILE member here? The female has an oblong rectangular, puffy type of underbelly...many times holding a clutch of eggs. The shell of the male dungy is flatter and more oblong than the female. The female, no matter what size cannot be retained. It is a rounder shell. I thought it allways looked like an apple pie shell.

There are no green crabs in Puget Sound, only in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, and there is no sport season on them anyway. Juvenile Dungess Crab can look kind of green in certain areas, and that's probably what those folks are killing. And you better read those regs - the only species that can be retained are Dungeness and Red rock. Minimum size is 6.5" for Dungeness Crab and 5" for Red Rock Crab - and you can't keep Graceful Crabs unless they are 6.5" and they never get that big. Also, it is illegal to retain part of the crab (the claws) in the field without the whole crab it came with - otherwise how is anyone to know if those claws were off a legal size crab?

WDFW Enforcement will be glad to accept your contribution to shellfish management for harvesting those green/undersize/claws, though, so knock yourself out

Spawnout you can keep 15 gracefuls in PS (aka "BLUE crabs" not "green")...

better get your info straight before you post you are allowed at least 10 unclassified marine invertabrates and your supposed to kill every green crab you catch then report to wdfw.

the size limit for dungeness is 6.25 Inches redrock is 5 inches. there is no size limit for PSGC.

Guys, read page 52 in the regs. (okay, I left out a digit, 6.25 for puget sound, sorry). There are no regulations that allow you to keep any other crabs except red rock and dungeness, except for 10 shore crabs under unclassified marine invertebrates regulations. No where does it say you can kill every green crab you see, and nowhere does it say the limit is 15 Cancer gracilis of any size. I suppose you could push it by claiming that craceful crabs and green crabs are unclassified marine invertebrates, but you better be ready to defend yourself in court as I can pretty much guarantee that WDFW will ticket you for keeping them. But don't take my word for it, or even believe what you read, call WDFW.

My bad, the limit now is 10 not 15 (old limit) on gracefuls. They are indeed harvested under unclassified marine orgs, as interpreted by the gammie here in the South Sound. They are mistakenly referred to as "Blue crabs" by the folks that keep 'em. Lots of 'em out here at Dash Point. IMO way too small to mess with. Anyhow, not to be mistaken with the green crab out on the coast.

Isn't "unclassified" self explanatory???