Cha-Ching! Florida's Stone Crab Season Opens Today

Florida's stone crab season opened today, meaning those delicious crab claws will soon be back in seafood markets and restaurants across the state.

The season, which runs through mid-May, also means an economic shot in the arm for Florida's fish industry. Ranking second behind shrimp, Florida's stone crab harvest was worth close to $18 million last season.

The majority are harvested off the southern tip of the peninsula from Sarasota to Fort Lauderdale. In 2009, the top three stone crab-harvesting counties were Monroe, Collier and Citrus.

Florida law prohibits the harvesting of whole stone crabs, and the crab's ability to regenerate lost limbs makes it possible to harvest the meaty claws without killing the crab.

Instead, fishermen remove one or both claws and return the live crab to the water, where it can regenerate its lost limbs in about 18 months. The state Department of Agriculture says claws must be at least 2 3/4 inches long to be harvested legally, and claws may not be taken from egg-bearing females.