---
title: "What the sources say about the Atlantic Blue Crab | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "46 claims from the Atlantic Blue Crab profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Atlantic Blue Crab (*Callinectes sapidus*)

> 46 claims from the Atlantic Blue Crab profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Atlantic Blue Crab](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/atlantic-blue-crab/)

## Blue Crab. NOAA Fisheries.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-crab

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A paddle-legged swimmer with bright blue claws that sheds its hard shell as it grows. | Crabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow. (note: tagline; paddles and claws have their own claims) |
| bright blue claws | Blue crab claws are bright blue |
| A blue crab molts as it grows, shedding its hard shell. | Crabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow. |
| Atlantic coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia to Argentina | The 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) |
| Almost anything: clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish and detritus | Blue crabs eat almost anything, including clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish, plant and animal detritus (note: stats.diet) |
| Rear legs shaped like paddles, built for swimming | They have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Its Latin name translates as "beautiful savory swimmer" | translated from Latin means 'beautiful savory swimmer.' |
| behind its three pairs of walking legs are swimming legs that look like paddles | They have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles. |
| The shell, called the carapace, is blue to olive green | The blue crab’s shell—called the “carapace”—is a blue to olive green. |
| the claws are bright blue, and mature females have red tips on theirs | Blue crab claws are bright blue, and mature females have red tips on their claws too. |
| Before a female's final molt, a male cradles her for a few days in a pose called a doubler. | a male crab cradles a female crab in a pose known as a “doubler” for a few days before the female’s terminal molt. |
| After mating he stays with her until her shell hardens, which also keeps another male from mating with her. | They stay with her after mating until her shell hardens and to ensure another male doesn’t mate with her. |
| A blue crab's shell can reach about 9 inches across, measured tip to tip, though crabs are usually harvested before they get that big. | Blue 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. |
| A typical crab at maturity weighs about a third of a pound. | While a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ pound (note: Quick Facts: Weight Approx. ⅓ pound (at maturity)) |
| Blue crabs generally live 3 or 4 years | Blue crabs generally live for 3 or 4 years. |
| mature in 12 to 18 months | They reach maturity in 12 to 18 months. |
| Because it loses hard parts in the process, a crab's age is hard to determine. | Because they lose hard parts during the molting process, it can be difficult to determine the age of a crab. |
| Predators include large fish, some fish-eating birds such as great blue herons, and sea turtles. | Crabs are eaten by large fish, some fish-eating birds (like great blue herons), and sea turtles. |
| Chesapeake Bay females travel to the Bay's mouth to spawn, and one brood can hold anywhere from 750,000 to 3,200,000 eggs. | Females migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawn and can produce between 750,000 and 3,200,000 eggs per brood. |
| As the water cools, crabs bury themselves in the sediment of the deeper Bay for winter. | As the water temperature drops each year, they burrow into sediment in the deeper parts of the Bay for the winter. |
| According to NOAA, no fishery in the Chesapeake Bay is worth more. | Blue crabs are the most valuable fishery in the Chesapeake Bay |
| Up to about 9 inches across the shell, though they are usually harvested before reaching that size. | Blue 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) |
| Generally 3 or 4 years | Blue crabs generally live for 3 or 4 years. (note: FAQ 2) |
| Between 750,000 and 3,200,000 per brood. | can produce between 750,000 and 3,200,000 eggs per brood (note: FAQ 3) |
| At maturity one usually weighs about a third of a pound. | While a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ pound (note: FAQ 1) |
| they mature at 12 to 18 months old | They reach maturity in 12 to 18 months. (note: FAQ 2) |
| In the Chesapeake Bay, females migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawn. | In the Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs mate and spawn from spring to fall. Females migrate to the mouth of the Bay to spawn (note: FAQ 3) |
| mature in 12 to 18 months | They reach maturity in 12 to 18 months. (note: body) |
| The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is a crab built to swim. | They 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) |
| A 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. | Blue crabs eat almost anything, including clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish, plant and animal detritus—and smaller and soft-shelled blue crabs. |
| Blue crabs are native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Nova Scotia to Argentina, and that includes the Gulf of America. | The blue crab native range is along the Atlantic Coast of the Americas from Nova Scotia to Argentina, including the Gulf of America . |
| Crabs grow faster in warmer water. | they grow more quickly in warmer water |
| In the Gulf of America a crab may be mature within a year, but in the Chesapeake Bay it may take 18 months. | In the Gulf of America, crabs may reach maturity within a year. But in the Chesapeake Bay, it may take 18 months. |
| In 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. | male 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 biggest one caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and spanned 10.72 inches across the shell. | The largest blue crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and was 10.72 inches (tip to tip across the carapace). |
| Gulf of America crabs may be mature within a year, while Chesapeake Bay crabs may need 18 months. | In 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 largest blue crab caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and measured 10.72 inches tip to tip. | The 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) |
| A paddle-legged swimmer | They have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles. (note: tagline) |
| A blue crab grows by shedding its hard shell | Crabs molt—they shed their hard shell—as they grow. (note: vibe.reason) |
| weightKg: 0.15 | While a blue crab usually weighs about ⅓ pound (note: task #1267: a third of a pound is 0.15 kg, Light) |

## Callinectes sapidus summary page. SeaLifeBase.

https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Callinectes-sapidus.html

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| in bays and estuaries | Inhabits bays and estuaries, in habitats with sandy substrates. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Not Evaluated | IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435 : Version 2025-2 (Global)) Not Evaluated (note: 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.) |
| SeaLifeBase lists them in the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Indo-Pacific | Introduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific. (note: FAQ 4) |
| SeaLifeBase lists them as introduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific. | Introduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific. |
| Yes, as introduced animals. SeaLifeBase lists them in the Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Indo-Pacific | Introduced in the Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Indo-Pacific. (note: FAQ 4) |
| tags: benthic | Found on soft bottoms (note: task #1267: replaces ocean; SeaLifeBase: 'Inhabits bays and estuaries, in habitats with sandy substrates') |