Jiangxi hairy crabs crowned in city contest

Two hairy crabs from Jiangxi Province, a male weighing 644.74 grams and a 473.6-gram female, were crowned "king and queen crabs" at a competition in Shanghai yesterday.

This year's crab king is lighter than last year's winner, which weighed 657.7 grams. The queen, however, is heavier than last year's 426.1-gram winner.

Hairy crabs are considered a seasonal delicacy in China, and are at their best in autumn and early winter.

Organized by Shanghai Ocean University and Central Hotel Shanghai, this year's competition was the 15th edition. More than 2,000 hairy crabs from more than 80 aquafarms in the country, including 25 farms from Shanghai, competed at the event. Genes of the crabs were collected for breeding better species during the event.

Crab farmers in China had achieved stable yield by continuously improving species quality, cultivation technology, water quality and related management. It is estimated that there will be about 80 tons of crabs in supply around the country, which is sufficient for the market demand.

Wang Chenhui, a professor from the Ocean University, said Shanghai farmers, with assistance from technology experts, overcame challenges including strong typhoons, 50 hot days with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and early cold waves to achieve higher yield with crabs featuring larger sizes and better quality.

Dong Jun / SHINE