Can You Eat Ghost Crabs? Everything You Should Know About

If you come across little sand-colored crabs when playing on the beach, they may be ghost crabs. They look lovely, but can you eat ghost crabs?

Some people still have opposing ideas about this question. So today, we will discuss it and give you some pro tips for catching, cooking, and eating ghost crabs.

Let’s see what we suggest!

What Are Ghost Crabs?

Ghost crabs belong to the Ocypodidae family. The word “Ocypode” means “swift-footed” in Greek and depicts the crabs’ ability to move quickly on sand. 

Habitat

This species lives near warm waters, like coasts in India and Florida. These semi-terrestrial animals create tunnels in the mud and sand in their habitats. 

Appearance

Ghost crabs have small, boxy bodies with eight walking legs and two claws. They are small, about two to three inches in diameter.

Ghost crabs can make sounds because of ridges on their claws. The long and large eyestalks are also other noticeable characteristics.

Their walking legs are much longer than their claws, helping to move easily over the sandy areas.

Prey and Predators

These animals eat insects, clams, turtle eggs, and other smaller creatures. Besides, in nature, they encounter many predators, such as eels, sharks, and some kinds of fish. They also deal with air species.

Behaviors

Ghost crabs live under the sand’s intertidal zone, submerging themselves during high tides and showing up at low tides. These habits give them a lot of moisture.

These crabs can dig up to four or five feet deep in the sand. They like to spend the hottest and coldest parts of the day underground.

Can You Eat Ghost Crabs?

Can you eat ghost crabs – a question posed by many people who are curious about this kind of crab.

The answer is Yes. Ghost crabs are not poisonous, so you can eat them safely.

However, they are not popular foods because of their low flesh content.

You may not like ghost crabs or not, depending on your preferences. Here are the benefits and downsides of trying these creatures.

Benefits

Ghost crabs are safe and edible. They also offer some benefits as follows:

• Nutritional value

Ghost crabs are rich in protein. Every 100 grams of meat contains up to 20 grams of protein. Moreover, if you are on a diet, consider ghost crabs because they are low in calories and fat.

These crabs also give you a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids, reducing your risk of stroke, heart disease, and several kinds of cancer.

These crabs are easy to catch. Hand-digging is the simplest method to try, and it doesn’t affect the environment.

Additionally, ghost crabs are widespread. They can provide local people with a sustainable food supply. 

• Versatility

You can cook ghost crabs in various ways, including baking, steaming, boiling, or frying. They also pair well with many dishes. Salads and stews are the most common choices. 

• Sustainability

These crabs are easy to catch. Hand-digging is the simplest method to try, and it doesn’t affect the environment.

Additionally, ghost crabs are widespread. They can provide local people with a sustainable food supply.

Downsides

Although these crabs are edible, you may feel discouraged from eating them for the following reasons.

• Tiny size

Ghost crabs are small. Hence, they don’t have a significant amount of meat. Hence, many people use them to make soup and broth.

• Contaminants

Environmental toxins such as heavy metals and organic pollutants may build up in ghost crabs. When consumed in large amounts, they will cause you big trouble. Be careful with them, especially if you are allergic to crab meat. 

• Hard to wash

You have to boil ghost crabs carefully for about 20 minutes before cooking them. This task sounds simple. Yet, ghost crabs are not easy to wash because of their small size.

How to Catch Ghost Crabs

If you want to find the taste of ghost crabs, go grab some. Here is what you need to do on the beach to get good crabs.

Step 1: Choose the Right Location and Time

Ghost crabs live in dunes, marshes, and sandy beaches. Because they like to burrow, you should pay more attention to places with soft and wet sand.

Avoid regions with a lot of people. Ghost crabs could be scarcer there or have relocated to isolated places.

How about the time? When should you catch ghost crabs?

It is advisable to start after the sun sets since these animals are active at night. They will leave their burrows to hunt for food during that time. 

Step 2: Gather Equipment

Prepare for your trip with enough tools, including a crab net or trap, a bucket, and a flashlight.

If you use a trap, ensure it’s small enough to fit into the burrows.

And if you use a net, choose the nylon or mesh one. 

Step 3: Locate the Ghost Crabs

Look for ghost crabs in their holes, or stroll along the seashore with your flashlight.

The crabs look like dark, tiny objects moving on the sand.

Ghost crabs are small. Hence, check holes that are as big as a pencil. It’s where the crabs hide. 

Step 4: Set Up the Trap

After locating the burrow, set up the trap in front of it. If possible, bait the crabs with a piece of chicken or fish.

Step 5: Check the Trap

Just leave your trap there for a few minutes and wait for the crabs to get caught.

Try to be patient because you may fail during the first attempts. 

Step 6: Remove the Crabs

Place the ghost crabs in the bucket after removing them from the trap. Because of their sharp claws, remember to grab them by their legs or the back of their shell.

Extra Tips for Crab Hunting

• The best time for catching ghost crabs is from May to September.
• Wear dark clothes so your prey can’t detect you in the dark easily.
• Research the beach before you go. Hawaii, Atlantic, and Costa Rica coasts have more ghost crab populations.
• Your bucket should be at least five gallons because ghost crabs may escape when caught alive and put in a small container.
• If you don’t intend the crabs, release them soon so they can feed and remoisten their gills before running out of breath.

You can learn more tips for catching ghost crabs easily:

Related: How to keep crabs alive

How To Cook Ghost Crab Safely?

As aforementioned, you can cook ghost crabs in multiple ways. Regardless of the method you choose, follow safety guidelines strictly to avoid foodborne illness.

Catching ghost crabs and processing them on the spot is an interesting experience when camping at the beach. Here are some tips to make tasty ghost crab dishes:

Prepare Ghost Crabs

Before making any dish with ghost crabs, you need to have the same preparation steps.

To rinse and remove debris and dirt from the ghost crabs, add handfuls of salt to the water. You need to keep changing the water to purge and rinse the crabs until clean water remains.

Keep crabs in the salt water for 30 minutes, transfer them to the basket, and rinse them with fresh water again.

Then, remove the shell by cutting off the apron gently and discarding it.

Put some mirin and minced ginger to get rid of the unnecessary smell of crabs, and blend and mix well.

Method 1 – Stir-Fry Ghost Crabs

It’s hard to pick the ghost crabs’ meat off because there isn’t enough flesh on them. So, in this case, stir-frying the ghost crabs is the best way to prepare the dish.

Here’s a basic stir-fry ghost crabs recipe:

• Prepare all of the ingredients and seasoning

For this delicious dish, you’ll need garlic cloves, ginger, scallions, red bell peppers, soy sauce, sugar, and water.

Minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced scallions, and chopped red bell peppers are put in boiling oil to eliminate unnecessary smells for crabs and add a tasty flavor to the dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together soy sauce, sugar, and water to make the seasoning sauce.

• Step-by-step instructions

First, heat up the oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.

Add the cleaned and peeled ghost crabs and cook until they turn yellow, which should take about two to three minutes.

After that, remove the fried crabs from the pan and let them drain on a paper towel.

Now, using the same pan, continue heating up the oil over high heat. Toss in the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir-fry for a minute.

Then, add the sliced scallions and chopped red bell peppers to the pan and continue to stir-fry for one more minute.

In the next step, add the pre-fried ghost crabs to the pan, mix well, and give them another two to three minutes of stir-frying.

Finally, pour the seasoning sauce into the pan with the stir-fried ghost crabs, mix well, and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened and turned brown, which should take about two minutes.

Serve hot, and enjoy!

Method 2 – Boil Ghost Crabs

Boiling is the simplest cooking method, especially suitable for ghost crabs. This method keeps the flavor of the ghost crabs intact.

The steps are as simple as those below:

• Fill a pot with water, add some salt and grated ginger, bring the water to a boil, and add your cleaned and peeled ghost crabs.
• Then, wait for about 15 minutes, and there you do. Take advantage of their natural sweetness to make soups and broths afterward.
• The ghost crab broth goes well with crusty bread, salads, and grilled or roasted meats.

These crabs are not as well-known as other varieties of crab, but they offer a tasty combination.

Some Uses of Ghost Crabs

Ghost crabs can serve two primary purposes: cooking and fishing.

In Cooking

These animals are safe to eat. Although the meat content is minor, you can still use them for numerous recipes.

In Fishing

Anglers can use these tiny crabs as bait for their fishing trip. Their delicate flavor will attract many saltwater fish species, such as flounder and red drum.

If you want to use ghost crabs as bait, please take these steps:

• Bring the crabs to the fishing location after collecting them in a trap.
• Remove the crabs’ internal organs and shells to clean them. If the crabs are big, cut them into smaller pieces.
• Use a hook to attach the crab to your fishing line. You may need to use a toothpick to secure the meat to the hook.
• Cat your fishing line into the water. The bait should be near the bottom.
• Wait for a bite. Once you feel a pull, reel your line in.

So, now you can confidently answer the question, “Can you eat ghost crabs?”.

There are also many recipes to try with this crab species. You can eat ghost crabs because of their delicate, sweet flavor.

However, while handling the crabs, avoid foodborne illness. This task involves washing the meat carefully and strictly following the safety guidelines.