Not long ago, Jonah crabs were considered little more than a nuisance by lobstermen off New England and the Canadian Maritimes, who routinely tossed the crustaceans back when they came up in lobster traps. But in the 1990s, as demand for an alternative to established and costly crab species grew, fishermen found they could make extra money selling Jonah crabs to interested processors. The crab is found increasingly on menus and in retail cases around the country. Canada, Maine and New Hampshire are important suppliers. Jonahs are landed year-round by inshore and offshore lobster boats. They range from Nova Scotia to northern Florida but are most abundant from Georges Bank to North Carolina. Jonahs are close relatives of rock crabs (C. irroratus), and the two are often regarded as the same species in the marketplace. However, with an average carapace width of 7 inches, Jonahs are larger and have bigger claws than rock crabs.