How the Blue Crab Grows

Author: Herrington Harbour

A blue crab molting.

In April 2011, the @ChesapeakeBayProgram website reported that the Bay’s population of blue crabs is at its second highest level since 1997.  Their population is approximately 400 million.

The blue crab, also known as the “beautiful savory swimmer”, must molt or shed its shell in order to grow.  During this phase, the crab stops feeding and seeks shelter to avoid predators.  After absorbing water at a high rate, the shell splits.  Afterwards, the crab pulls out of its shell and absorbs more water making it larger.  A new hard shell forms in 2-4 days.

Blue crab fun facts:

• The largest crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay was 10.72 inches and weighed 1.1 pounds.
• Soft shell crabs measuring 6 or more inches are called whales.
• The hind legs, shaped like paddles, make blue crabs excellent swimmers.
• Blue crabs bury themselves in the mud in the winter while they wait for warmer temperatures.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 27th, 2011 at 1:11 PM and is filed under Marina Wildlife Nature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.