The snow crab is called a variety of names, depending on the area where it is caught. In the Tango Peninsula (Kyoto Prefecture), it is called taiza; in Hokuriku echizen or zuwai; lastly, in the Akita area the name is taraba.
The fishing season begins around 6th November every year, with the arrival of the cold weather, and continues until around 20th March.
As creatures of the deep sea, the large male specimens of crab grow up to nearly a metre.
The origin of the name matsuba-gani, literally meaning “pine needle crab”, is a matter of dispute. One theory states that the name comes from the fact that, when the legs are opened, after soaking in cold water, the strips of flesh inside the shell resembles pine needles. According to another theory the name matsuba refers to the custom of fishermen to burn pine needles when cooking crabs in a large cauldron on the beach.