Monster crab with claws the size of a man's hand captured off the British coast

Daily Mail ^ | 03rd July 2008 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

It lurked in the wreck of an old battleship 160ft below the surface – a true monster of the deep.

Diver Paul Worsley could hardly believe the size of the giant crab he found in Lyme Bay, off the Dorset coast.

Careful to avoid its fearsome claws, he managed to get it into a bag and raise it to the surface.

For his efforts, he can congratulate himself on capturing what experts believe is the biggest edible crab ever landed.

It weighed 17lb and had a shell width of 12in while each of its massive claws was as big as a man's hand.

[SNIP]

Unfortunately, Mr Worsley's crab will not be displayed in any museum. A friend has eaten it.

[Daffynition]

[mware]

Melt the butter, I am coming over.

[truemiester]

What Battleship?

[GladesGuru]

I hope the fortunate diver was able to find an acquarium to sell it to before it died.

Such a catch would be worth quite a bit to a place like the English equivalent of Sea World.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Unfortunately, Mr Worsley's crab will not be displayed in any museum. A friend has eaten it.

Sorry...but you apparently aren't a close enough friend of Mr. Worsley.

[GladesGuru]

Finish the article before posting.

Finish the article before posting.

Finish the article before posting.

Finish the article before posting.

Finish the article before posting.

[mass55th]

"What Battleship?"

Exactly. I don't eat seafood, so the ship's identity is more interesting to me.

[mware]

It doesn’t say the name of the Battleship in the article.

[Larry Lucido]

“It had man hands!”

[mware]

LOL, do you remember when Sean Hannity’s old screen caller, Flipper, was given the gift of a live lobster, along with all the fixings. She released the lobster into fresh water, with the tags still on its claws.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Fried or steamed?

[jwparkerjr]

As much as I love crab claws and butter I'm not sure I could bring myself to capture and eat this guy. Must be really old and it saddens me to think of all those years only to end up in a crab pot. God had gifted this creature with what it took to handle the dangers of life in its world, from water conditions to would-be predators. It's just not an even contest when someone so farther up the food chain uses scuba gear, etc. to invade this creature's heretofore secure turf and use superior intelligence and technology to take it.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not in league with PETA or an animal-rights devotee. I simply feel badly for a creature so well suited to its environment meeting its end at the hands of a superior force.

Years ago the Smothers Brothers, or maybe it was one of those freshmen quartets of the day like the Four Freshmen, did a great song called “Crabs Walk Sideways”. Anyone remember that, or know where I might find it? Napster has a couple of listings but I've not cared for any of the ones they have.

I guess in summary, I would have gone with the catch and release method for this neat guy or gal!

[Daffynition]

Happy 4th!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Proving once again that liberals are all about feelings and reject logic and reason and thinking.

[Dixie Yooper]

Monster crab with claws the size of a man's hand captured off the British coast

I thought crab fishermen caught crabs, instead of capturing them like a human. They also sell them for eating, not give them away to museums or aquariums.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I do recall that. Flipper was a piece of work.

[Daffynition]

Better to have man hands than a man's leg!

[Joiseydude]

LOL, do you remember when Sean Hannity’s old screen caller, Flipper, was given the gift of a live lobster, along with all the fixings. She released the lobster into fresh water, with the tags still on its claws.

ROFLMAO! Typical bleeding heart liberal.

[Daffynition]

These Neanderthals would agree..........

[villagerjoel]

“Unfortunately, Mr Worsley’s crab will not be displayed in any museum. A friend has eaten it.”

Hilarious.

[ottbmare]

I’ll bet at that size and age it didn’t taste all that good. I’d rather have kept it and bred it so we had lots of other giant delicious young crabs, rather than killed it.

[EricT.]

Hmmm... crab ranching.

[DemonDeac]

I’m not swimming on that beach. Yikes.

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

A fun place to eat in Myrtle Beach. The Giant Crab.

[envisio]

its food.

[SouthDixie]

Mr. Worsley looks darn tastey too.

[Charles Martel]

"What Battleship?"

HMS Empress of India, most likely.

[Daffynition]

As with lobsters, the larger they are, the tougher the meat, and a kind of rangy taste/smell, as opposed to the sweet taste of a smaller version. ;-D

...I’m having withdrawal symptoms talking about it ... gotta have lobstas this weekend!

[SoftballMominVA]

I’m with you - that old guy probably tasted all kinds of bitter and nasty. Better to have him live the rest of his life out as a ‘stud crab.’ And raise more crabs for the pot.

[Daffynition]

I never caught on to the affection of the soft-shelled crabs you guys have down there.

We’ll be fishing for bluecrabs in NE soon ... yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[RckyRaCoCo]

[Deaf Smith]

"Crabs Walk Sideways”. Anyone remember that"

No, but I do remember *I Yelled Fire When I Fell Into the Chocolate.*

[jwparkerjr]

Crabs walk sideways was all about a lobster that falls in love with a crab. The parents, on both sides, are aghast. Sorta like a “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in an underwater setting. They tell them they’ll never make it and list a bunch of reasons, but the ending reason is always, “crabs walk sideways, lobsters walk straight.”

Very good satire!

[Daffynition]

LOL ...nice one!

[rahbert]

crabs in Nebraska?

[gardengirl]

Ummmm! Fried spiders! That’s what my kids have called fried soft crabs since they were little!

[Daffynition]

[null and void]

crabs in Nebraska?

Don't ask...

[Siberian-psycho]

[dblshot]

Democrats today released a statement decrying the unfairness of some crabs getting so large while millions of smaller crabs are stuck in an environment of diminishing resources. Big Crab is taking more than it's fair share and must be taxed at a higher rate to ensure fair distribution of crab food sources. Alternatively the crab can buy crab food credits from Al Gore. No longer can Big Crab be allowed to contribute to Global Warming with no balancing mechanisms in place, said Gore. Thousands of scientists have concurred that crab caused global warming(called crabal warming) will wipe out the world by 2025 unless these scientists receive millions of dollars in grants immediately. Asked for comment on this crisis, a crabal warming denier said, pass the butter.

[rdax]

Man Hands

[gardengirl]

Yipe yipe yipe! He’s definitely going to have to be caught in soft shell stage!

[spotbust1]

With or without butter? ;-)

[Hatteras]

Two words...

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

Neither have I. :>)) Nasty.

[Tallguy]

I’m not aware of HMS Empress of India. I’ll have to check out the history of that Wreck. My first thought when “dive-able battleship wrecks” entered into it was the German WW1 dreadnoughts in Scapa Flow. Some of those wrecks were raised, others have been partially salvaged, but a few are still there. They are a diver attraction.

[Tallguy]

Whew! That’s a pretty deep wreck for my taste. 150fsw, give or take. If I had seen a crab that big I would be certain that I was narc’ed & if I still had my wits about me I’d be terminating the dive. This guy (assuming it was this wreck) decides to wrestle with that crab? I don’t know if he was incredibly brave or just foolish (& lucky).

[eastforker]

I have had people tell me the same thing about some of the catfish I catch. Guess what, they don’t live forever. Better it is harvested and eaten than for it to die of old age. And yes, catfish taste just as good at 60 pounds as they do at 6.

[Secret Agent Man]

Put this bad boy in a museum or aquarium. It’d be cool to just see this thing alive.

[jwparkerjr]

Iknow what you're saying is quite true and the practical side of me agrees 100%. At the same time the emotional side of me feels badly when something as unique as this looses its battle.

I am not in any way condemning the man who caught the crab, and certainly not suggesting big catfish should not adorn the tables of America. Just my feminine side or something.

Thanks for the info about catfish and their size and taste. I've wondered before if fish lose anything as they get bigger.