What trade-off exists regarding meat yield when comparing Jonah crabs to larger species like King or Stone Crabs?
Answer
The meat-to-shell ratio is lower, necessitating purchasing more pounds of whole crab for the same meat quantity.
Despite their exquisite flavor, Jonah crabs are generally smaller than giants of the crab world, such as King Crabs or mature Stone Crabs (which are harvested only for their claws). Because of this smaller physical size, the overall amount of recoverable meat relative to the weight of the shell is less favorable in the Jonah crab. This means a consumer must buy a greater total weight of whole Jonah crabs to achieve the same amount of usable meat that could be obtained from fewer pounds of the larger, bulkier species.
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