re: Are female crabs less desirable?

IMO, females are more likely to be full than males. I don't particularly care for the roe in them but some people do and many make soup from the roe. That said, there is no comparison in taste between a prime, full male, they are absolutely divine. The trouble is catching males full enough to be worth a damn. Females, on average, don't seem to have this problem.

I very rarely buy crabs from a market but I've been told by a crabber that 99% of all the #1 crabs caught in LA are sold to Maryland because they simply can't catch enough in the Chesapeake Bay area to meet demand and they're willing to pay obnoxious prices...