Chionoecetes is a genus of crabs that live in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The genus Chionoecetes currently contains seven distinct species. Other names for crabs in this genus include "queen crab" (in Canada) and "spider crab" – they are known by different names in different areas of the world. The generic name Chionoecetes means snow (, ) inhabitant (, ); means shepherd, and C. opilio is the primary species referred to as snow crab. Marketing strategies, however, employ snow crab for any species in the genus Chionoecetes. The name "snow crab" refers to their being commonly found in cold northern oceans. General Snow crab are caught as far north as the Arctic Ocean, from Newfoundland to Greenland and north of Norway in the Atlantic Ocean, and across the Pacific Ocean, including the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, Norton Sound, and even as far south as California for Chionoecetes bairdi. In 2019 the Norwegian Supreme Court ruled that the species is considered a sedentary species living on the seabed, and thus governed by the United Nations Law of the Sea. Species Seven extant species are currently recognised in the genus: Chionoecetes angulatus Rathbun, 1893 – triangle tanner crab Chionoecetes bairdi Rathbun, 1893 – tanner crab, bairdi, or inshore tanner crab Chionoecetes elongatus Rathbun, 1925 Chionoecetes japonicus Rathbun, 1932 – beni-zuwai crab Chionoecetes opilio (Fabricius, 1788) – snow crab or opilio Chionoecetes pacificus Sakai, 1978 Chionoecetes tanneri Rathbun, 1893 – grooved tanner crab Cookery Crabs are prepared and eaten as a dish in many different ways all over the world. The legs are usually served in clusters and are steamed, boiled, or grilled. Snow crab can also be used as an ingredient in other dishes such as snow crab macaroni and cheese. Food web position and importance Snow crabs are an important part of the ecosystem throughout the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They eat other invertebrates in the benthic shelf like crustaceans, bivalves, brittle stars, polychaetes, phytobenthos, foraminiferans, annelid worms, and mollusks. They are also fed on by halibut, cod, larger snow crabs, seals, squid, and Alaskan king crabs. Snow crabs are also highly sought after for the commercial fishing industry. Life history stages and vulnerabilities Juvenile snow crabs mature in cold-water pools on the ocean floor that are sustained by melting sea ice. If waters warm above the 2 °C maximum necessary for juvenile