Out of the frying pan, into the aquarium: Sidney centre gets unique crab

Ordinarily, a Dungeness crab caught in a net wouldn’t mean much more than dinner time. The crustaceans are a mainstay of seafood lovers.

But a crab that was caught by fishers in a catch off of Sooke was spared due to his unique features.

Typically Dungeness crabs are grey-brown with tinges of purple and white-tipped claws.

According to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney, the crab appears to be leucistic, a term for a partial lack of pigment.

This gives the crab a pale, cream-coloured look, with completely white legs and claws. It is similar to an albino, which has a complete lack of pigment.

The fishers donated this full-size, rare crab to the Centre, and it is now currently on display in the Pacific Salmon exhibit.

The critter may be crabby in his new home, but it beats being the main course on a west coast platter.