In many households across the country, a Christmas feast isn't complete without fresh seafood.
A mud crab's claw can be the cause of family feuds around the table, each relative vying for the sweetness of the seafood "lollipop".
At the moment, these delicacies are retailing for about $70 a kilogram, with the average crab weighing in at about 1.2 to 1.4kg.
The catch
But many north Queensland locals are adept at catching their own.
To do this, they read the tides, watch the weather and even scout satellite maps for the best new places to lay down their pots.
But often, they rely on intel handed down by generations of crabbers on the perfect spots.
To catch a crab, most use pots set up with a rope and float marked with their name and address.
Many will argue over the best bait for crabs, from chicken carcasses and necks to even dog or cat food.
What works best is up for debate, with some insisting on stale meat while others say fresh is best.
The pots are set at low tide, ideally after some rain, and usually tied to trees.
And then they wait.
Crabbers will check their pots at the next low tide and hope to have some takers.
Queensland law dictates that only bucks [male crabs] can be taken and the shell must be more than 15 centimetres wide.
Bucks are easily identified by a thin 'V' on their underside and one larger claw while jennies [females] have a wider flap and generally equal-sized nippers.
Queensland crabbers can use up to four pots and take home a maximum of seven crabs per person.
Whether you are skilled in the art of catching one yourself, or lucky enough to have a local seafood market with fresh mud crabs in stock there is one universal truth about mud crabs.
There is no pretty way to eat them.
Not for first dates
David Caraccioli from the Mackay Fish Market calls mud crabs the 'Lobsters of the north.'
"We fly them live to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, China and Singapore," he said.
"We've always had crabs [in stock] for Christmas but last year we ran out about 3PM Christmas Eve.
"Christmas week the tides are always wrong, [so] the fisherman don't go [and] so supply can be down."
Mr Caraccioli said the traditional way of eating a crab in Australia is to boil it in salt water.
"Other nationalities will have a live crab or stir fry it with ginger and shallots or chilli," he said.
"I prefer to eat a smaller crab myself because the meat is sweeter and tender."
He reminds anyone vying for a crab that despite their incredible taste and high-end value, they are not quite first date material.
"You've just got to get into it and make a mess," Mr Caraccioli said.
"Don't worry about your eating etiquette and what people are thinking.
"The mud crab has so many different small bits and pieces."
One-pot wonder
Craig Fitzgerald is a chef at an award-winning seafood restaurant in Mackay.
He said although the mud crab is a crowd favourite when in its near-natural form, his family's one pot wonder "jazzes it up" if you eat seafood a lot.
"It's real basic and it's a family favourite," he said.
"We've been doing it for at least 10 years ... you just catch a muddy or get a fresh muddy from the store and take it home and chuck it in a pot [see recipe below] and it's ready for Christmas.
"You can throw in any crustacean and it will work out fine."
He said mud crabs are very popular at Christmas time.
"In north Queensland I wouldn't be surprised if eight out of 10 households would love to have a mud crab on their plate, but not everyone can get them.
"Muddies are not cheap and [catching one is] reliant on rain and weather."
Here is Craig's creamy garlic mud crab recipe.
