More About the Blue Crab
The blue crab, one of the most valuable crustaceans in the United States, is aptly described by its scientific name, Callinectes sapidus (Calli -- beautiful; nectes -- swimmer; and sapidus -- savory). Blue crabs have five pairs of legs and the first pair is equipped with pincers. They have a hard shell or exoskeleton which is brownish-green or dark green and drawn out on each side into a long spine. The underside of the body and legs are white. Male and female claws are various shades of blue on top and the tips of the female's claws are bright red.
Blue crabs are found along Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. A shallow water crab, it can live in salt, fresh and brackish waters of bays, sounds, channels and river mouths. They are omnivorous, feeding on plants and animals. During the winter months, blue crabs move into deeper water and enter a state of semi-hibernation. They are commercially harvested by traps.
The process of molting allows the crab to shed its external shell periodically in order to grow. Before molting begins, a new soft-shell forms inside, and the crab backs out of the old loose shell. Soft-shell blue crabs are hard blue crabs that were captured when they were ready to molt (called peelers) and held in water-filled trays until their old shell has shed