Florida’s stone crab fishery is distinctive: legal-sized claws may be harvested, and the live crab is returned to the water. That ability to regenerate deserves careful handling and accurate information.
Measured before harvest
Florida’s minimum claw size is 2⅞ inches. Harvesters measure the fixed lower portion of the claw using a gauge. Harvest from egg-bearing crabs is prohibited.
Regeneration takes time
Lost claws can regrow through successive molts. New claws begin smaller; FWC reports that an adult claw can approach 95% of its original size after three molts, roughly three years.
Regeneration takes time
Regrowth is not a guarantee of survival. Wound condition, handling and whether one or both claws are removed affect survival. The ability to regenerate does not make harvesting harmless.