Sizing Up Your King Crab Legs

When customers are shopping for King Crab Legs and see sizes listed like 4/7, 6/9, 9/12 and others, they often wonder what those numbers represent. In addition to those numbers, consumers will hear terms like Jumbo, Colossal, Super Colossal and others used to describe the different sizes of King Crab, which often only adds to their confusion. As a result, one of the most commonly asked questions we receive at Custom Seafoods regarding our King Crab is, “What do all the different numbers and terms mean”? The most important thing to remember is that King Crab sizes are NOT based on one-pound measurements. Instead, King Crab Legs are marketed and sized according to the number of crab legs it would take to make a ten-pound box. For example, crab legs sized as 6/9 indicate that it would take 6 to 9 of that size crab legs to make a ten-pound package. Similarly, crab legs sized as 14/17 indicate that it would take 14 to 17 of those size legs to fill a ten-pound box. As a general rule, the smaller the number, the larger the individual crab leg would be. To help with understanding what all of this means, we have put together this handy infographic to explain the differences:

There are also some other commonly used terms to describe the various leg sizes. See below for those terms, their corresponding sizes and average leg weight :

Super-Colossal - 4/7 - 1.10 pounds

Colossal - 6/9 - .90 pounds

Jumbo - 9/12 - .70 pounds

Extra-Large - 12/14 - .60 pounds

Large - 14/17 - .50 pounds

Medium - 16/20 - .45 pounds

Small - 20/24 - .40 pounds

Here are some other fun facts about the Alaskan Red King Crab, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

• They can live between 20 - 30 years.
• Females can grow up to 10.5 pounds, and males up to 24 pounds with a leg span of 5 feet!
• The Kodiak Archipelago typically sees the highest concentration of red king crab in Alaska.
• Adult male red king crabs in the Kodiak area have been known to migrate up to 100 miles round-trip annually.
• From 1975 - 2018, US crabbers harvested nearly 854 million pounds of red king crab from Alaskan waters, with a value of approximately $2.5 billion!

Do you still have questions about our Red King Crab Legs or other seafood items? Are you looking for a delicious Seafood Recipe or are you ready to purchase your favorite seafood from Alaska and have it shipped straight to your door? If so, Shop Here on our website or Call Us today at 907-931-5992 and one of our knowledgeable seafood representatives will be happy to assist you.