Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) lives in eelgrass beds and on sandy bottoms from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Point Conception near Santa Barbara. It grows 6 to 7 inches across and is named for Dungeness Spit in Washington. It is an important seafood industry along the West Coast, and a traditional dish in California cooking, such as crab Louie or cioppino.
In California only male crabs of legal size may be kept: at least 5.75 inches across for recreational crabbers and 6.25 inches for commercial fishermen. Pots must have escape rings so that undersized crabs and females can leave. The 2022-23 season brought about $54.4 million to the California economy, and in 2024 the governor signed a law naming the Dungeness crab the state crustacean.
At Pillar Point Harbor, fishermen sell crab and fish directly from their boats.
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