ABSTRACT Deep-sea crabs (Chaceon sp.) were discovered in French Polynesia. Most of the catches were made around the Marquesas islands at depths ranging from 370-1,050 m. In this archipelago, two trapping surveys caught 628 kg (709 crabs). Males outnumbered the females by 610 to 99. The mean carapace width was 13.19 cm (940.8 g) and 10.99 cm (547.4 g) for the males and females, respectively. The mean catch rate was 1.4 kg (1.6 crabs)/trap/night. Catch rate was mainly affected by the depth, with greatest catches obtained between 700-800 m. The highest result for a single trap was 11.5 kg (13 crabs)/trap/night. The mean weight of the catches (0.9 kg) and the yields obtained are high enough to initiate a small-scale fishery but severe management rules should be taken to protect the species.