Female Blue Crabs and Male Blue Crabs and Zoea (zoeae, pl.) The larva that hatches from the female crab's egg multiple zoea stages are followed by the megalopa stage.Depletion of the blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay can be explained by the crabbing policies of Maryland and Virginia. Males continue to molt throughout their lives. At the time mating takes place, she is in the soft-shell state and will not molt again after producing an egg mass. Terminal molt The final molt, usually associated with the female. Sponge crab Female crab carrying an egg mass. Regionally, the apron is said to resemble the dome of the nation's Capitol building. Sook A mature female, distinguished by its bell-shaped apron. Soft crab, soft-shell crab A crab immediately after shedding its old shell its new shell is soft and pliable, and the crab is marketable as a soft-shell. Shed Either the empty shell or the process of casting off the shell. Sally crab or she-crab Immature female, distinguished by a triangular-shaped apron. Crab shedders can tell how soon a peeler will molt by looking at signs on the crab's shell that indicate two weeks (white sign), one week (pink sign), two days (red sign), or hours (rank peeler) prior to molt. Peeler crab Hard crab with a fully formed soft-shell beneath it is ready to begin molting. It has a slightly stiff shell, but is still considered a soft-shell. Paper shell A recently shed crab, approximately 9 to 12 hours after molting. Although many find its flavor distinct and delicious, it is recommended that you do not eat this since many chemical contaminants concentrate in the organ. Contrary to popular belief, the "mustard" is not fat, rather it's the crab's hepatopancreas, the organ responsible for filtering impurities from the crab's blood. Mustard Yellow substance found inside a cooked crab. During this terminal molt, mating takes place. Unlike male crabs that continue to molt and grow throughout their entire lives, females stop growing when they reach sexual maturity, usually after about 20 molts. The shell grows in discrete stages through molting, while growth of internal tissue is more continuous. Instead, crabs have rigid exoskeletons (hard shells). Blue crabs are invertebrates, meaning they lack a spinal column. Molt The process by which a blue crab grows larger by periodically shedding its smaller shell. Megalopa (megalopae, pl.) Final larval stage between the zoea and juvenile stage. Regionally, the apron is said to resemble the Washington Monument. Jimmy crab A male blue crab, distinguishable by its T-shaped apron. Hard crab Crab with a fully hardened shell, from about four days after molting. Remove and discard when cleaning crabs.ĭoubler Mating crabs the male carries the soft-shell female crab, which has just completed its terminal molt, beneath it. They are not poisonous but do have an unpleasant taste and texture. The term probably refers to the fact that the gray "shriveled" gills vaguely resemble the fingers of a dead person.
Male blue crab cracked#
Also a type of crab meat.īuckram crab A crab with a leathery, semi-hard shell, approximately 12 to 24 hours after molting the stage past the paper shell stage.īuster Crab in an advanced stage of molting, wherein the old exoskeleton (hard shell) has cracked under the lateral spines.Ĭarapace Top part of the shell of the crab.Ĭrustacea Class of invertebrates to which the Atlantic blue crab belongs the crab is a crustacean.ĭead man's fingers The gills, elongated, spongy-looking organs. The rear-most fin of the crab, which is a flat, oval-shaped swimming fin. Apron The crab abdomen, which is folded under the body.Ītlantic blue crab Known by its scientific name Callinectes sapidus in Greek " Callinectes" means "beautiful swimmer," and " sapidus" means tasty or savory.īackfin The swimming or paddle fin.
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