View source for List of U.S. state crustaceans

{{Short description|none}}
{{As of|2024|September|post=,}} nine [[U.S. state]]s and the [[District of Columbia]] have designated state [[crustacean]]s:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/search/node/crustacean |title=Official State Crustaceans |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA |date=July 8, 2017 |accessdate=July 8, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Louisiana]] has the freshwater [[crawfish]] ''[[Procambarus clarkii]]''.
* [[Maryland]] has the blue [[crab]], ''[[Callinectes sapidus]]''.<ref>Md. Gen. Provis. § 7-303. http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=ggp&section=7-303&ext=html&session=2015RS&tab=subject5.</ref>
* [[Oregon]] has the [[Dungeness crab]], ''Metacarcinus magister''.<ref name=":0" />
* [[California]] also has the [[Dungeness crab]], ''Metacarcinus magister''.<ref>{{cite news | last =Stierch | first =Sarah | title =2 Iconic Animals, Dungeness Crab And Banana Slug, Become New State Symbols | newspaper =[[SFGate]] | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =October 2, 2024 | url =https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/2-iconic-animals-dungeness-crab-and-banana-slug-19811335.php | accessdate =October 3, 2024 }}</ref>
* [[Alabama]] has the [[Farfantepenaeus aztecus|brown shrimp]], ''Peneaus aztecus''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archives.alabama.gov/emblems/st_crustacean.html |title=Alabama Emblems: State Crustacean |publisher=Alabama Department of Archives and History |date=March 2015 |accessdate=July 8, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Maine]] has the [[American lobster|lobster]], ''Homarus americanus''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/symbols/crustacean.htm |title=Maine State Crustacean |publisher=Maine Kids |accessdate=July 8, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Texas]] has the Texas Gulf shrimp, ''[[Penaeus aztecus]]'', ''P. setiferus'', and ''P. duorarum''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/texas/fish-aquatic-life/texas-gulf-shrimp |title=Texas State Crustacean |date=29 December 2016 |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA |accessdate=July 8, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Utah]] has the [[brine shrimp]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Brine shrimp officially named Utah's state crustacean |url=https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/utah-wildlife-news/1608-brine-shrimp-officially-named-state-crustacean.html-crustacean.html-crustacean/#:~:text=House%20Bill%201341%20declares%20the,Natural%20Resources%20Coastal%20Regional%20Headquartersral%20Resources%20Coastal%20Regional%20Headquarters. }}</ref>
* [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] has the [[Litopenaeus setiferus|white shrimp.]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=White shrimp Georgia's official crustacean |url=https://capitol-beat.org/2024/04/white-shrimp-georgias-official-crustacean/#:~:text=House%20Bill%201341%20declares%20the,Natural%20Resources%20Coastal%20Regional%20Headquarters. |access-date=April 25, 2024}}</ref>
*[[District of Columbia]] has the [[Hay's spring amphipod]].

==Louisiana==
[[File:Procambarus clarkii.jpg|thumb|''[[Procambarus clarkii]]'', known as the Louisiana crawfish, is the state crustacean of Louisiana.]]
{{Main |Procambarus clarkii {{!}}''Procambarus clarkii''}}
In 1983, the state of [[Louisiana]] designated the Louisiana crawfish, ''[[Procambarus clarkii]]'', as their state crustacean.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/655/Default.aspx |title=Louisiana Lagniappe |accessdate=August 12, 2011 |publisher=[[Louisiana Secretary of State]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820072425/http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/655/Default.aspx |archivedate=August 20, 2011 }}</ref> The native range of ''P. clarkii'' is along the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]] from northern [[Mexico]] to the [[Florida panhandle]], as well as inland, to southern [[Illinois]] and [[Ohio]].<ref name="IUCN">{{Cite iucn | author = K. A. Crandall | title = ''Procambarus clarkii'' | volume = 2010 | page = e.T153877A4557336 | date = 2010 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T153877A4557336.en }}</ref> It is most commonly found in warm [[fresh water]], such as slowly flowing [[river]]s, [[marsh]]es, [[reservoir (water)|reservoirs]], [[irrigation system]]s and [[paddy field|rice paddies]]. ''P. clarkii'' grows quickly, and is capable of reaching weights over {{convert|50|g}}, and lengths of {{convert|5.5|-|12|cm}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=608 |title=''Procambarus clarkii'' (crustacean) |date=March 31, 2006 |work=Global Invasive Species Database |accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref>

Harvests of ''P. clarkii'' account for a large majority of the crawfish produced in the United States. In 1990, Louisiana produced 90% of the crawfish in the world and consumed 70% of it locally,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Larry W. de la Bretonne Jr. |author2=Robert P. Romaire |name-list-style=amp |year=1990 |title=Crawfish production: harvesting, marketing and economics |journal=SRAC Publication |volume=42 |publisher=[[Southern Regional Aquaculture Center]] |url=http://www.aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/242fs.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212111732/http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/242fs.pdf |archivedate=2010-12-12 }}</ref> but by 2003, Asian farms and fisheries produced more, outpacing American production rapidly. By 2018, ''P. clarkii'' crawfish production in the Americas represented just 4% of total global ''P. clarkii'' supply.<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Aquaculture Production: ''Procambarus clarkii'', 1990-2018 |url=http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/SQServlet?file=/usr/local/tomcat/8.5.16/figis/webapps/figis/temp/hqp_7058869486391224748.xml&outtype=html |website=FAO Fisheries Division |publisher=Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref> However, Louisiana crawfish remain in demand locally. In 2018, 93% of crawfish farms in the US were located in Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web |title=Table 18. Crustacean Sales by Species: 2018 and 2013 |url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Aquaculture/aqua_1_0018_0018.pdf |website=2018 Census of Agriculture |publisher=USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service |access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref> Louisiana crawfish are usually boiled in a large pot with heavy seasoning (salt, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, etc.) and other items such as [[potato]]es, corn on the cob, [[onion]]s, [[garlic]], and [[sausage]]. There are many differing methods used to season a crawfish boil and an equal number of opinions on which one is correct.<ref>[http://www.crawfish.com/how-to-season-a-crawfish-boil.php How to Season a Crawfish Boil]</ref>

==Maryland==
[[File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Atlantic blue crab.jpg|thumb|''[[Callinectes sapidus]]'', the blue crab, is the state crustacean of Maryland.]]
{{Main |Callinectes sapidus {{!}}''Callinectes sapidus''}}
The blue crab, ''[[Callinectes sapidus]]'' was chosen as the state crustacean of [[Maryland]] in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/crab.html |title=Blue Crab, Maryland State Crustacean |work=Maryland Manual on-line: a Guide to Maryland Government |publisher=[[Maryland State Archives]] |accessdate=August 12, 2011}}</ref> ''C. sapidus'' is a [[crab]] found in the waters of the western [[Atlantic Ocean]], the Pacific coast of Central America and the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The blue crab may grow to a [[carapace]] width of {{convert|230|mm|abbr=on}}. It can be distinguished from a related species that occurs in the same area by the number of frontal teeth on the carapace; ''C. sapidus'' has four, while ''[[Callinectes ornatus|C. ornatus]]'' has six.<ref name="Beachcomber">{{cite book |author=Susan B. Rothschild |year=2004 |title=Beachcomber's Guide to Gulf Coast Marine Life: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida |edition=3rd |publisher=Taylor Trade Publications |isbn=978-1-58979-061-2 |chapter=Sandy beaches |pages=21–38 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w0hWmtbRNwIC&pg=PA34}}</ref>

The [[Chesapeake Bay]], located in [[Maryland]] and [[Virginia]], is famous for its blue crabs, and they are one of the most important economic items harvested from it. In 1993, the combined harvest of the blue crabs was valued at around US$100 million. Over the years the population of the blue crab has dropped,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080728_bluecrab.html |title=Number of blue crabs in Bay remains below long-term average |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |date=July 28, 2008}}</ref> and the amount captured has fallen from over {{convert|125000|t|lb|abbr=on}} in 1993 to {{convert|81000|t|lb|abbr=on}} in 2008.<ref name="FAO">{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2632/en |title=Species Fact Sheet: ''Callinectes sapidus'' (Rathbun, 1896) |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |accessdate=November 28, 2010}}</ref> In the Chesapeake Bay, the population fell from 900&nbsp;million to around 300&nbsp;million, and capture fell from {{convert|52000|t|lb|abbr=on}} in the mid 1990s to {{convert|28000|t|lb|abbr=on}} in 2004, with [[revenue]] falling from $72&nbsp;million to $61&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Yonathan Zohar |author2=Anson H. Hines |author3=Oded Zmora |author4=Eric G. Johnson |author5=Romuald N. Lipcius |author6=Rochelle D. Seitz |author7=David B. Eggleston |author8=Allen R. Place |author9=Eric J. Schott |author10=John D. Stubblefield |author11=J. Sook Chung |author-link11=J. Sook Chung |name-list-style=amp |year=2008 |title=The Chesapeake Bay blue crab (''Callinectes sapidus''): a multidisciplinary approach to responsible stock replenishment |journal=Reviews in Fisheries Science |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=24–34 |doi=10.1080/10641260701681623 |bibcode=2008RvFS...16...24Z |s2cid=27931558}}</ref>

==Oregon==
[[File:DungenessCrab.jpg|thumb|The [[Dungeness crab]], ''Metacarcinus magister'', is the state crustacean of Oregon.]]
{{Main |Dungeness crab}}
The [[Dungeness crab]], ''Metacarcinus magister'' (formerly ''Cancer magister''), is a species of [[crab]] that inhabits [[Zostera|eelgrass]] beds and water bottoms on the [[West Coast of the United States|west coast]] of [[North America]]. Its [[common name]] comes from the port of [[Dungeness, Washington|Dungeness]], Washington. In 2009, based on lobbying from schoolchildren at Sunset Primary School in [[West Linn, Oregon|West Linn]], Oregon, and citing its importance to the Oregon economy, the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly|Oregon State Legislature]] designated the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean of Oregon.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=House Joint Resolution 37, 2009 (Enrolled) |publisher=[[Oregon State Legislature]] |url=http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measures/hjr1.dir/hjr0037.en.html |accessdate=October 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611123205/http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measures/hjr1.dir/hjr0037.en.html |archivedate=June 11, 2011 }}</ref>

The [[carapace]] width of mature Dungeness crabs may reach {{convert|25|cm|abbr=on}} in some areas off the coast of [[Washington (state)|Washington]], but are typically under {{convert|20|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/2006/06regs_6.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617120725/http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/2006/06regs_6.pdf |archivedate=June 17, 2009 |title=2006-2007 Fishing in Washington Rule Pamphlet |publisher=[[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]] |page=130}}</ref> They are a popular [[delicacy]], and are the most commercially important crab in the [[Pacific Northwest]], as well as the western states generally.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/FiRefServlet?ds=species&fid=3461 |title=Species Fact Sheet. ''Cancer magister'' Dana, 1852 |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] |date=January 22, 2004}}</ref> The annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival is held in [[Port Angeles, Washington|Port Angeles]], Washington each October.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crabfestival.org |title=Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival}}</ref>
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==References==
{{Reflist|32em}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|crustacean}}

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[[Category:Crustaceans of the United States|.]]
[[Category:Lists of United States state symbols|Crustaceans]]
[[Category:Lists of animals of the United States|Crustaceans]]