Characteristics
The blue crab is a swift-swimming crustacean, supported by a pair of paddle-shaped rear swimming legs. Its carapace, or shell, boasts a smooth, olive-green hue, while mature females display brilliant blue claws with red tips. Adult males can attain a diameter of up to 9 inches and live for around three years.
Distinguishing features include narrow, inverted T-shaped abdomens in males (known as “Jimmies”) and broad, rounded abdomens in mature females (referred to as “sooks”).
Blue crabs grow continuously, molting several times during their lifespan. During the immediate post-molt stage, they have an almost transparent body, earning them the name “soft-shelled crab.”
Habitat
Blue crabs inhabit a variety of environments, including the open sea, rivers, and brackish waters along coastal shelves and estuaries. They exhibit an omnivorous diet, consuming everything from plant and animal detritus to clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, and freshly deceased fish.
Life Cycle
The reproductive behavior of blue crabs is distinct. Mating occurs from May through October in brackish waters. Prior to mating, males cradle a soft-shelled female in their legs, carrying her for several days until she molts. After mating, the male continues to support the female until her shell hardens.
Females develop an external egg mass, a bright-orange sponge, beneath their abdomen. Within approximately two weeks, larvae are released into the water. These larvae eventually find their way to sea waters but return to estuaries and rivers to mature into full-sized adult crabs. Their lifespan typically spans around three years.