BLUE CRAB
(sp. Callinectes sapidus)
A male is called a ‘Jimmy’. An immature female
is a ‘Sally’, and a mature female is a ‘Sook’.
The female Blue Crab is easy to distinguish from
the male, as she has red-tipped claws. Females
stop molting when they reach sexual maturity;
this occurs after 21 to 22 molts. During the last
molt, mating o ccurs.
A Male Blue Crab.
A Female Blue Crab.
The female will mate only once in her life (May
to October). The male deposits sperm in sacks
inside the female, which she uses in the future.
The female’s ovaries begin to develop after
mating. Females carry their young in a large
sack under their abdomen. Because this sack resembles a sponge, females carrying it are called
Sponge Crabs.
Male Blue Crabs can reach 9 inches in shell
width. Males will grow and molt throughout
their lives. The male’s abdomen is long and
slender and resembles an inverted T.
LORE: They’re closely related to the Shrimp
and the Lobster, and Blue Crabs have teeth inside their stomachs.
Consuming 2 to 3 ounces of Crab Meat will provide an entire day’s allowance of Vitamin B12.
This is a 1.5 Million Year
Old Fossil of a Blue Crab.
The species name, Callinectes sapidus,
means: “Beautiful swimmer that is savory”.
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