Calamari may have company.
Another ocean-dwelling species, crab, has scuttled into a prominent position in the Rhode Island seafood scene, providing a welcome boost for beleaguered southern New England lobstermen.
In particular Jonah crab, a long-ignored species, has increased in abundance and landings in local ports over the past several years, just as American seafood consumers have begun to develop a taste for the crustaceans.
Between 1995 and 2012, the most recent year of statistics, the Atlantic Jonah crab catch more than quintupled, from 1.9 million pounds to 11.5 million pounds, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
