Snow crabs, like king crabs, are subject to strict fishing quotas. Snow crabs can live for more than ten years, and most adults will grow to be between 1 and 4 pounds in adulthood. Their shells are a dull orange, but they brighten to a poppy red when cooked.
Snow crabs are decapods, which means they have ten legs with small pincer claws on the front pair. Most snow crabs caught are of the opilio crab variety. These are also referred to as Tanner Crabs, Queen Crabs, and Spider Crabs. There are seven species of crab marketed as snow crab, but the most commonly purchased in the United States is Chionoecetes bairdi, or the Alaskan Snow Crab.
