Dungeness Crab
(Metacarcinus magister)
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A mature female Dungeness crab carrying eggs. Larger females can carry more eggs, up to a maximum of approximately 2.5 million eggs. Because of their high fecundity, female Dungeness crab bury themselves in sediment, sometimes in layers 5 or more crab deep, and are relatively immobile while ovigerous, from approximately December through June in Alaska.