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What the sources say

Atlantic Blue CrabCallinectes sapidus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Atlantic Blue Crab profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 46 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

NOAA Fisheries

Blue Crab. NOAA Fisheries.

The page saysA paddle-legged swimmer with bright blue claws that sheds its hard shell as it grows.
The source saysCrabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow.Note: tagline; paddles and claws have their own claims
The page saysbright blue claws
The source saysBlue crab claws are bright blue
The page saysA blue crab molts as it grows, shedding its hard shell.
The source saysCrabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow.
The page saysAtlantic coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia to Argentina
The source saysThe blue crab native range is along the Atlantic Coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia to Argentina, including the Gulf of America .Note: stats.habitat
The page saysAlmost anything: clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish and detritus
The source saysBlue crabs eat almost anything, including clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish, plant and animal detritusNote: stats.diet
The page saysRear legs shaped like paddles, built for swimming
The source saysThey have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysIts Latin name translates as "beautiful savory swimmer"
The source saystranslated from Latin means 'beautiful savory swimmer.'
The page saysbehind its three pairs of walking legs are swimming legs that look like paddles
The source saysThey have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles.
The page saysThe shell, called the carapace, is blue to olive green
The source saysThe blue crab’s shell—called the “carapace”—is a blue to olive green.
The page saysthe claws are bright blue, and mature females have red tips on theirs
The source saysBlue crab claws are bright blue, and mature females have red tips on their claws too.
The page saysBefore a female's final molt, a male cradles her for a few days in a pose called a doubler.
The source saysa male crab cradles a female crab in a pose known as a “doubler” for a few days before the female’s terminal molt.
The page saysAfter mating he stays with her until her shell hardens, which also keeps another male from mating with her.
The source saysThey stay with her after mating until her shell hardens and to ensure another male doesn’t mate with her.
The page saysA blue crab's shell can reach about 9 inches across, measured tip to tip, though crabs are usually harvested before they get that big.
The source saysBlue crabs can grow to about 9 inches across (from tip to tip) their hard shell (carapace). However, they are usually harvested before they reach that size.
The page saysA typical crab at maturity weighs about a third of a pound.
The source saysWhile a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ poundNote: Quick Facts: Weight Approx. ⅓ pound (at maturity)
The page saysBlue crabs generally live 3 or 4 years
The source saysBlue crabs generally live for 3 or 4 years.
The page saysmature in 12 to 18 months
The source saysThey reach maturity in 12 to 18 months.
The page saysBecause it loses hard parts in the process, a crab's age is hard to determine.
The source saysBecause they lose hard parts during the molting process, it can be difficult to determine the age of a crab.
The page saysPredators include large fish, some fish-eating birds such as great blue herons, and sea turtles.
The source saysCrabs are eaten by large fish, some fish-eating birds (like great blue herons), and sea turtles.
The page saysChesapeake Bay females travel to the Bay's mouth to spawn, and one brood can hold anywhere from 750,000 to 3,200,000 eggs.
The source saysFemales migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawn and can produce between 750,000 and 3,200,000 eggs per brood.
The page saysAs the water cools, crabs bury themselves in the sediment of the deeper Bay for winter.
The source saysAs the water temperature drops each year, they burrow into sediment in the deeper parts of the Bay for the winter.
The page saysAccording to NOAA, no fishery in the Chesapeake Bay is worth more.
The source saysBlue crabs are the most valuable fishery in the Chesapeake Bay
The page saysUp to about 9 inches across the shell, though they are usually harvested before reaching that size.
The source saysBlue crabs can grow to about 9 inches across (from tip to tip) their hard shell (carapace). However, they are usually harvested before they reach that size.Note: FAQ 1
The page saysGenerally 3 or 4 years
The source saysBlue crabs generally live for 3 or 4 years.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysBetween 750,000 and 3,200,000 per brood.
The source sayscan produce between 750,000 and 3,200,000 eggs per broodNote: FAQ 3
The page saysAt maturity one usually weighs about a third of a pound.
The source saysWhile a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ poundNote: FAQ 1
The page saysthey mature at 12 to 18 months old
The source saysThey reach maturity in 12 to 18 months.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysIn the Chesapeake Bay, females migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawn.
The source saysIn the Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs mate and spawn from spring to fall. Females migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawnNote: FAQ 3
The page saysmature in 12 to 18 months
The source saysThey reach maturity in 12 to 18 months.Note: body
The page saysThe Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is a crab built to swim.
The source saysThey have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles.Note: body lead; the paddles are the claim, 'built to swim' is the framing
The page saysA blue crab's menu is wide: clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish and plant and animal debris, plus smaller and soft-shelled blue crabs.
The source saysBlue crabs eat almost anything, including clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish, plant and animal detritus—and smaller and soft-shelled blue crabs.
The page saysBlue crabs are native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Nova Scotia to Argentina, and that includes the Gulf of America.
The source saysThe blue crab native range is along the Atlantic Coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia to Argentina, including the Gulf of America .
The page saysCrabs grow faster in warmer water.
The source saysthey grow more quickly in warmer water
The page saysIn the Gulf of America a crab may be mature within a year, but in the Chesapeake Bay it may take 18 months.
The source saysIn the Gulf of America, crabs may reach maturity within a year. But in the Chesapeake Bay, it may take 18 months.
The page saysIn the Chesapeake Bay, male crabs tend to prefer the fresher waters of Maryland and the upper tributaries, while females like the saltier waters of the main Bay.
The source saysmale crabs tend to prefer the fresher waters of Maryland and the Bay’s upper tributaries, while females like the saltier waters in the main part of the Bay
The page saysThe biggest one caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and spanned 10.72 inches across the shell.
The source saysThe largest blue crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and was 10.72 inches (tip to tip across the carapace).
The page saysGulf of America crabs may be mature within a year, while Chesapeake Bay crabs may need 18 months.
The source saysIn the Gulf of America, crabs may reach maturity within a year. But in the Chesapeake Bay, it may take 18 months.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysThe largest blue crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and measured 10.72 inches tip to tip.
The source saysThe largest blue crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and was 10.72 inches (tip to tip across the carapace).Note: body
The page saysA paddle-legged swimmer
The source saysThey have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles.Note: tagline
The page saysA blue crab grows by shedding its hard shell
The source saysCrabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow.Note: vibe.reason
The page saysweightKg: 0.15
The source saysWhile a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ poundNote: task #1267: a third of a pound is 0.15 kg, Light

Source
02

SeaLifeBase

Callinectes sapidus summary page. SeaLifeBase.

The page saysin bays and estuaries
The source saysInhabits bays and estuaries, in habitats with sandy substrates.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysIUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435 : Version 2025-2 (Global)) Not EvaluatedNote: stats.conservationStatus. No Red List assessment exists for Callinectes sapidus (GBIF has no category, Crossref no assessment DOI), so no IUCN reference is cited. SeaLifeBase prints the same status. Precedent llama.
The page saysSeaLifeBase lists them in the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Indo-Pacific
The source saysIntroduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific.Note: FAQ 4
The page saysSeaLifeBase lists them as introduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific.
The source saysIntroduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific.
The page saysYes, as introduced animals. SeaLifeBase lists them in the Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Indo-Pacific
The source saysIntroduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific.Note: FAQ 4
The page saystags: benthic
The source saysFound on soft bottomsNote: task #1267: replaces ocean; SeaLifeBase: 'Inhabits bays and estuaries, in habitats with sandy substrates'

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.