The Atlantic deep sea red crab (Chaceon quinquedens) is patchily distributed along the continental shelf edge and slope of the western Atlantic, primarily at depths of 400-1800 meters. Red crabs in the US waters outside the Gulf of Mexico are managed as a single stock located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic Bight to Gulf of Maine region, although red crabs in the Gulf of Maine are not considered in calculation of reference points, biomass estimates or other management analyses (NOAA 2009; NEFMC 2010).

The management unit specified in the Red Crab FMP includes red crab in U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean from 35˚ 15.3’ N. lat. (the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina) northward to the U.S./Canada border (NOAA 2009; NEFMC 2010).