Crustaceans in the Arabian Gulf (I): Crabs 阿拉伯灣的甲殼類 (I)螃蟹

The Arabian Gulf is a shallow sea with depth mostly less than 60 m. The seabed is generally covered by soft-materials, such as sand and mud. In the nearshore waters along the coastline, there are belts of sea-grass/macro-algae meadows, which nourish plenty of invertebrates and fishes. According to the archeological study , people living along the coast of the Arabian Gulf have been harvest various marine organisms for thousands of years. 

There is a misunderstanding that the Arabian people do not eat anything from the sea but fish, which is not the case at least in present days. Crustaceans, crabs, sand lobsters, and prawns, are one of the most important invertebrates that are commercially harvested by the fishermen in the Arabian Gulf. Shrimps, either caught from the wide or cultured in the ponds, are popular food items widely consumed by the people living in Saudi Arabia. Lobsters are rare and expensive delicacy often found in the restaurants. On the contrary, the crabs, mostly the blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus), are also harvested in large quantities but receive seemingly far less attention from the local people. In Bahrain, crabs are listed in the menu at times, but it is rarely found in the restaurants in eastern Saudi Arabia, suggesting that people do not have good appetite for crabs [Remark: Blue swimming crab is considered as four different species, and the one distributed in the Arabian Gulf is proposed to be Portunus segnis. However, i still keep use the old name Portunus pelagicus for the blue swimming crab.] 

阿拉伯灣是一個深度多在60米以下的淺海地區，海底多是軟質的沙泥混合地質所組成。在靠近海岸的地區，有一連串的海草/海藻床，孵育了大量的無脊椎動物和魚類。根據研究指出，在阿拉伯半島沿海地區的人民，捕撈海洋生物為食，已經有數千年的歷史。通常對於海灣地區的阿拉伯人有個誤解，認為海洋生物他們只吃魚。但至少在現今，他們不只吃魚，也很愛吃蝦子。不管是野生或是養殖蝦，沙烏地人都消費了相當可觀的量。龍蝦，也是常出現在餐廳裡的高級美食。然而相對於前兩類，螃蟹類在這裡的確沒什麼出現。在對岸的巴林，偶爾還會出現在餐廳的菜單上，但是在沙烏地東邊，螃蟹極少出現在餐廳，代表出沙烏地當地對於螃蟹可能還沒有很高的接受度。

遠洋梭子蟹(市仔)是沙烏地阿拉伯灣海域最常見的食用螃蟹種類。

  Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is the most common commercial crab species

市仔在巴林偶爾會出現在餐廳，但在東沙烏地相當少見。

 Crabs show up occasionally in the Bahrain restaurants, but is rarely seen in those in eastern Saudi

在沙烏地阿拉伯東岸，螃蟹漁業最主要在南邊的海域

In eastern Saudi Arabia, the crab fishing ground mainly located at the southern part

魚貨上岸時，習慣是將雌雄分開。這是身體偏褐色、大螯較短的雌性。

The fishermen usually separate males from the females. Female crabs are brown-bodied with shorter claws.

雄蟹通常體型較大、步足藍色、大螯也較長

Male crabs are usually larger with longer claws.

這邊海巡檢查蠻盡責的，每一箱螃蟹都要倒在平台上，確定沒有夾帶東西。

All the landings have to be checked before going to the market.

這漁港漁民主要用陷阱抓螃蟹，過期的魚就拿來當誘餌

This fisherman uses crab pot to catch the crabs, and the out-dated fish are the baits

開始烹調，先來個兩隻吧

Let's have two crabs for the dinner

港式避風塘炒蟹

Crab fried with Crispy Garlic (Hong Kong Style)

三杯炒蟹

Fried crab with Thai basil

鏽斑蟳 Charybdis feriatus 俗名花市仔，在沙烏地阿拉伯灣海域極少抓到，可說是夢幻的 種類。

Crucifix crab (Charybdis feriatus) is a crab rarely found in the Saudi waters in the Gulf.

鏽斑蟳味道是和市仔好上一些。

Crucifix crab tastes a bit better than the blue swimming crab.

Seafood is popular in Saudi Arabia, as in other countries. However, unlike in Asia countries where blue swimming crabs have decent prices, the crabs in eastern Saudi Arabia are among the cheapest item in the market with little interests from the local people. Frankly, I do not think the crabs here are as tasty as I have tried in Taiwan and other East Asian countries. Two critical issues are the lacks of proper preservation and food processing techniques. All crabs landed are dead, and therefore they do not fit well with Taiwanese or Chinese style dishes that are better with live crabs. (I do not have the courage, or a strong stomach, to try to make the "green mango salad with raw crab"). Also, there is no (or least little) industries that could peel the crab and sell the meat, either being frozen or in cans. Considering the fact of lack of appetite on crabs from the locals, most of the crabs landed in eastern Saudi Arabia should have gone to other places. This industry could have better profit if the cabs can be kept alive (for the Asia markets), or the meat could be extracted (for the western markets).

沙烏地就像其他國家一樣，海鮮相當的受歡迎。在亞洲國家，市仔要價通常不斐。但是在沙烏地東岸，螃蟹通常是最便宜的選項，當地人民對螃蟹也興趣不大。老實說，這邊的螃蟹肉蠻軟的，比不上和我在其他國家吃到的螃蟹 。這邊的螃蟹漁業，缺乏適當的保存技術，也沒有適當的食物處理技術。上岸的螃蟹都是死蟹，也因此在強調活蟹的台灣或中國料理上，就沒有那麼適合 (我也不敢嘗試，也沒那個胃，去做生螃蟹芒果沙拉)。另外，這邊也沒有引入螃蟹取肉技術。考量這邊人民對螃蟹沒什麼興趣，捕撈上岸的螃蟹，相信是輸出去其他地方。因此如果能夠引入活蟹保存技術，或是取蟹肉工廠，來滿足亞洲或歐美市場，這產業可能會有更高的獲利。