Remarkable Record: Meet the Biggest Blue Crab in New York

Sometimes, the fisherman isn't lying about the size of his catch. A monumental blue crab was recently harvested in New York, and it's now the biggest on record.

There's plenty of places to grab a crab in our state. In the Hudson Valley, the Hudson River (and its various tributaries) are a great place to start. This mammoth, however, was harvested off the coast of Long Island.

New Blue Crab Size Record in New York State

"[We are] excited to announce a state record for blue crabs has been established!", began a recent post from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC). The photos (below), which have been shared nearly 100 times, shows the  7-3/16” crustacean in all its glory.

Recreational Marine Records in New York

The NYS DEC keeps size records for nearly every sea creature that can be harvested in the state. From massive blue marlin (1,174 pounds) to humble white perch (3.06 pounds), every person who holds a verifiable record receives a special certificate commemorating their achievement. Blue crabs, however, aren't recorded by weigh, but by a different measurement entirely.

Measuring Blue Crabs

Blue crabs are measured in length, not weight. While the smallest legal crab to harvest is 4.5 inches (measured horizontally across its carapace), the record books were quickly updated to reflect the 7-3/16 inch chonker that was found by Westhampton, NY's Hunter Tracy. Fishing enthusiasts should be excited to learn that there are several "open" state records for marine life that still need to be established.

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Record sizes of fish including the black drum, cobia, northern kingfish, cunner, red hake, striped sea robin, and Spanish mackerel are all looking to be filled. Not just any example of these fish can be considered the biggest, however. Each one has a minimum size requirement to be considered for the state record (find more info here).