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Callinectes sapidus : The Blue Crab

Callinectes sapidus : The Blue Crab. Savory Beautiful Swimmers. Objectives. Describe the anatomy of a Blue Crab Be able to distinguish jimmys, sooks, and sallys Be able to describe crab mating behavior Explain the lifecycle of the Blue Crab Be able to describe how crabs grow

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Callinectes sapidus : The Blue Crab

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  1. Callinectessapidus:The Blue Crab Savory Beautiful Swimmers

  2. Objectives • Describe the anatomy of a Blue Crab • Be able to distinguish jimmys, sooks, and sallys • Be able to describe crab mating behavior • Explain the lifecycle of the Blue Crab • Be able to describe how crabs grow • Be familiar with the devices used to catch crabs and how to eat a crab

  3. General Anatomy • Member of the Crustacea • Exoskeleton of Chitin • Open circulatory system • Scavenger with parts for cutting, shredding, mashing • Stalked eyes • 10 appendages, last pair called swimmerets • Carapace, Abdomen

  4. Jimmy, Sook, Sally

  5. Lifecycle • Mostly bottom dwellers • following mating the female migrates to high salinity waters • eggs released into the water column

  6. Lifecycle Continued • Mature eggs are shed into the water column • Eggs hatch into zoea • Zoea undergo a molt and enter the megalops stage • Megalops larvae will molt to become small crabs

  7. Molting • For a crab to increase in size it must shed its exoskeleton (molt) • Seam between the carapace and abdomen is split and the crab walks out the back of the old carapace

  8. Fishing for Crabs • Many devices used to catch crabs • Legal size is 5” point to point (size of a standard beer can) • Crabs most active during the summer months

  9. Crabbing Devices • Recreational Crabbing • Crab Pot • Crab Trap • Dip Net • Hand Line Baits include: Chicken necks, Bull Lips, Fish Pieces

  10. Crabbing • Commercial crabbing usually uses pots, scrape, or trot line

  11. How to eat crabs(any way you can) • Take a nice heavy crab, just out of the pot and steaming. Remove the claws and set aside for later. • You'll need a crab knife (a butter or steak knife will do). A wood crab mallet will be helpful for cracking the claws. Also be sure to have lots of beer and/or soda on hand.

  12. Turn the crab over so you're looking at the bottom. Insert the tip of your knife into the apron. Pull it up and back. This detaches the top shell. • Turn the crab over again, right-side up. Now you can take off the top shell. • You'll see the gills (and other stuff). • Discard the top shell.

  13. Using your knife, clean away the gills (and other stuff). Discard it. • Take the remaining crab in your hands. Snap it in two and all that luscious crab meat will be revealed. You can use your knife to peel the shell away from the meat, or...

  14. Using your knife, slice each half in half again lengthwise. Use your knife to pick the meat from the shells.! • Your hard work is rewarded! • Don't forget the claws you set aside. Use your knife and wooden mallet to crack them open

  15. References • http://bluecrab.richmond.edu/ • http://www.clark.net/pub/crabbing/index.html • http://skipjack.net/le_shore/crab/crab_picking/index.html • http://www.newmex.com/platinum/data/light/species/crabblue.html

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