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Crab, Lobsters & Scallops

The rich waters around the islands yield a bountiful harvest of wild shellfish

Landed within hours of being caught, local processors are committed to ensuring that the freshest shellfish – including crabs, lobsters and scallops – are prepared, packed and delivered direct to the customer, always maintaining superb quality.

Brown Crab

  • Mainly caught by creel in Shetland’s inshore waters
  • Females (hens) are caught on softer, sandy bottom. They tend to have more rich brown meat.
  • Males (cocks) found on harder, rocky bottoms. Often have more sweet white meat.
  • Fished all year round, but caught in higher numbers when water temperatures are warmer.

Velvet Crab

  • Found on rocky substrates down to depths of 25m, tucked away in crevices
  • Do not undertake extensive migrations
  • Velvets get their name from the fine velvety texture of their shell
  • Fast moving and aggressive.
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DID YOU KNOW?

Once considered a pest species, velvet crab have bright red eyes and are sometimes called the Devil or Witch crab.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Crabs walk sideways because of the way their legs are attached

Lobster

  • Invertebrates that protect themselves with their hard exoskeleton
  • Bottom dwellers – they like to hide on harder rock bottoms and natural reefs and rocks
  • Out of 10,000 eggs it is thought that only 10 will survive
  • They navigate by smell, taste with their feet, and listen with their legs.

Scallops

  • Scallops and queen scallops thrive in Shetland’s cool, clear waters and are available all year round
  • Surprisingly fast – they swim by rapidly opening and closing their shells
  • Hermaphrodites – they are both male and female
  • Filter feeder – suck and squirt water all day
  • King Scallops can live up to 20 years although they are usually harvested at around 3 – 5 years.
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DID YOU KNOW?

Scallops have 60 – 100 blue eyes which detect light, dark and motion – usually from predators

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DID YOU KNOW?

Lobsters have 10 walking legs and blue blood

Want to buy Shetland Shellfish

From sea to plate: crabs and lobsters

Graphic indicating the lobster and crab journey, from sea to plate

From sea to plate: scallops

Graphic indicating the scallop journey, from sea to plate