Callinectes sapidus. The chelae, or pincers, are large and somewhat unequal in size. BioKIDS is sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative. Habitat This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/animal/blue-crab. Blue crab [English] Common blue crab [English] There is only one other species of soldier crab common in Sydney. Updates? Species Callinectes sapidus blue crab The bay, which was called by journalist and critic H.L. 4, fig. Mencken a “great big outdoor protein factory,” still affords a precarious living…. The Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus), or the Atlantic Blue Crab, is a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and introduced internationally. Classification Species armatus Genus Portunus Family Portunidae Infraorder Brachyura Order Decapoda Class Malacostraca Subphylum Crustacea Phylum Arthropoda Kingdom Animalia; Size … Blue crabs are not threatened or endangered. Species Callinectes sapidus blue crab Callinectes sapidus: information (1) Callinectes sapidus: pictures (4) Species Cambarus bartonii Appalachian brook crayfish In addition, recent reports have shown that blue crabs are projected to be detrimentally impacted by climate change in a way that can also wreak havoc on sensitive ecosystems that the blue crab calls home. ADW Pocket Guides on the iOS App Store! Tender leaves, fruits, berries, flowers, beetles and other large insects are the blue land crab’s preferred diet, while the blackback land crab occasionally enjoys animal matter found near the burrows. At spawning time the female’s abdomen swells with eggs. Blue crabs may grow to a carapace width of 23 cm (9.1 in). Eight short spines occur on each side between the large spine and the eyes. Ray Bauer Research: Marine Biology and Shrimps Research projects by Bauer and students on caridean and penaeid shrimps and other decapod crustaceans, emphasizing mating systems, breeding, hermaphroditism, coloration, grooming, fouling, seagrass fauna, publications. Species Callinectes sapidus blue crab Callinectes sapidus: information (1) Callinectes sapidus: pictures (4) Species Cambarus bartonii Appalachian brook crayfish Blue crab, (genus Callinectes ), any of a genus of crustaceans of the order Decapoda (phylum Arthropoda), particularly Callinectes sapidus and C. hastatus, common edible crabs of the western Atlantic coast that are prized as delicacies. Classification Additional information: Find blue crab information at Encyclopedia of Life; blue crab. The largest catch is the blue crab, which arrives on dinner tables in such forms as crab soup, crab cakes, steamed hard-shell crabs, soft-shell crabs, and crab imperial. As it marches around feeding, it moulds the sand into numerous pellets, sorting through it for organic matter. The blue king crab, Paralithodes platypus, lives near St. Matthew Island, the Pribilof Islands, and the Diomede Islands, Alaska, and there are populations along the coasts of Japan and Russia. C. sapidus individuals exhibit sexual dimorphism. The crabs are scavengers, feeding on the bodies of dead animals. Since there are so many different kinds of crabs, they have thousands of common names, such as king crab, horseshoe crab, blue crab, snow crab, coconut crab, and more. Atlantic Blue Crab Trap/Pot Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries. The genus Callinectes is distinguished from other portunid crabs by the lack of an internal spine on the carpus (the middle segment of the claw), as well as by the T-shape of the male abdomen. Classification. 1.-- Muraoka, 1998: 33. The blue crab which is one of the most wanted types of crabs, lives in estuaries and salt lagoons along the coast that goes from Nova Scotia, to the Gulf of Mexico. ... species of the Blue Crab. There hundreds of different crabs on this planet so for the sake of simplicity, I am going with 2 kinds. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Callinectes sapidus is a decapod crustacean of the family Portunidae, which includes the swimming crabs. Level of scientific classification; below Kingdom and above Class Thin, tapered claw used for tearing Blue crab that is 3-6 days from molting Organisms that cannot swim or are very weak swimmers and are at the mercy of the currents Blue crab, (genus Callinectes), any of a genus of crustaceans of the order Decapoda (phylum Arthropoda), particularly Callinectes sapidus and C. hastatus, common edible crabs of the western Atlantic coast that are prized as delicacies. Still we know that if you were to go out and catch a blue crab today it would be the same species as it was 400 million years ago! Summary Summary. Callinectes sapidus is a decapod crab of the swimming crab family Portunidae. Land crab diets vary slightly from species to species, but generally include nesting sea birds, invertebrates and plants. Kingdom Animalia animal kingdom. The Blue crab is an omnivore, eating both plants and animals. Fossil records are few for many species. Species Callinectes sapidus blue crab. Paralithodes platypus Conservation status Least Concern Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Family: Lithodidae Genus: Paralithodes Species: P. platypus Binomial name Paralithodes platypus Paralithodes platypus, the blue king crab, is a species of North Pacific king crab which lives near St. … Blue crab, (genus Callinectes), any of a genus of crustaceans of the order Decapoda (phylum Arthropoda), particularly Callinectes sapidus and C. hastatus, common edible crabs of the western Atlantic coast that are prized as delicacies. The shell, greenish on top and dingy white below, is about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long and 15 to 18 cm wide; the legs are bluish. A distinctive, large, sharp spine projects from each side. All rights reserved. Other commercially important taxa include Portunus pelagicus, several species in the genus Chionoecetes, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Charybdis spp., Cancer pagurus, the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister), and Scylla serrata, each of which yields more than 20,000 tonnes annually. BioKIDS home  |  Questions?  |  Animal Diversity Web  |  Cybertracker Tools. Encyclopedia article covering the order, with details of anatomy, classification, and photos of sample species. Other important species include flower crabs (Portunus pelagicus), snow crabs (Chionoecetes), blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), edible or brown crabs (Cancer pagurus), Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister), and mud crabs (Scylla serrata), each of which provides more than 20,000 tonnes annually. It is a partnership of the University of Michigan School of Education, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, and the Detroit Public Schools. 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