Softshell crab
is a side product of mud crab aquaculture. Softshell crab has a big potential
to be success. Softshell crab is popular
among the seafood lovers. They can be eat without remove their shell like the
normal crab. This characteristic is the main attribute to their rise in demand
lately.
Softshell crab
is not a new species of crab. This crab, especially in Malaysia, was made from
mud crab, Scylla spp. Softshell crab is a form of crab after it is
molted. After they molted, the crab will be in weak stated and their shell will
take around 12 hour before it start to harden. This means that almost the
entire crab can be eaten except their mouthparts, gills and the abdomen, which should be discarded. Thus it can be eaten without having to shell the crab to
reach the meat.
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| The crab ready to molt |
The mud crab
will be kept in pond for a few hours to days depend on the condition of the
crab before them molting. Some crab already show their sign for molting and in
just a few hour the crab will molting. This crab will be put into plastic cage
that can submerge. This is important for the farmer to check whether the crab
already molt or not. It is important to check the crab regularly in order to
avoid the crab from hardening.
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| Example of the softshell cage |
The process
takes around 21 days or less for the crab to molt. The legs and the chelipeds
will be taken off in order to fasten the molting process. It also will improve
the number of survival crab during molting process. After molting, the crab
will have a new pair of leg and chelipeds and their shell still soft. The crab
is ready for market.
-USM We Lead-
