Stone Crab (Resembles a crab, often incomplete, with a brownish-earth colored back)
【Name】
【Source】
Song Dynasty, Kaibao period
【Frequency of Use】
F
【Botanical Origin】
Fossils of the Paleozoic arthropod, family Gecarcinucidae, Stone Crab Macreophtalmus latreilli Edw., Telphusa spp. and other closely related animals.
【Characteristics】
Resembles a crab in overall shape but is often incomplete. Usually flattened and oval, or irregularly shaped with several legs remaining, 3-5 cm long, 3-13 cm wide, and about 1.8 cm thick. The dorsal surface is brownish-earth to dark brown, smooth or with small dot-like protrusions, with soil often remaining in the depressions. The ventral surface is lighter in color and often damaged. The texture is as hard as stone, not easily broken, and sounds like striking porcelain when struck against each other. The fracture surface is grayish-brown and stony. It has a faint odor and a slightly salty taste.
【Identification】
The best quality is a complete body, blue-green color, and hard texture.
【Category】
Minerals