Soft-shell crab

In the United States, the main species is the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, which appears in markets from April to September.

In the Deep South region of the United States, most notably the Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, "Buster crab" can be a synonym for a plump, meaty soft-shell crab. However, the original meaning of Buster crab referred to either a soft-shell that had yet to complete molting, or to a soft-shell that had died before being provided to a seafood vendor and was then consumed quickly by the crabbers.

In Japan, various species are used to make sushi such as maki-zushi or temaki-zushi. The Japanese blue crab (Portunus trituberculatus) or the shore-swimming crab (Charybdis japonica) are typically used.

In Spain, soft-shell crustaceans are typical in the coastal region of Andalusia. Irrespective of the species, they are called chiguatos, from the local slang verb achiguatar, meaning to soften. Typical preparations include velvet crabs (Necora puber) and langoustines (Nephrops norvegicus), which are highly regarded delicacies of Sanlucar de Barrameda, and lobster (Homarus gammarus) (called langosta chiguata), which is typical along the coast of Málaga. Typically, they are deep-fried and served with a vinaigrette.

In Italy, the soft-shell of the common Mediterranean crab is a delicacy typical of the Venetian lagoon (called moeca or moeche in the local idiom).

Soft-shell crabs can have the soft organs along the dorsal cavity removed during cleaning, or they can be left in for consumption. In the latter case, along the U.S. Atlantic coast, the customer asks the vendor to leave "the mustard", referring to the yellow-orange color of the hepatopancreas, and the deep orange of the roe in a female crab.