Blue Crabs are a prized delicacy in the Chesapeake Bay area of the United States.
They usually inhabitat muddy shores, bays, and estuaries.
The shell, greenish on top and dingy white below, is about 7.5 cm long and 15 to
18 cm wide. The legs are a bluish colour. A distinctive, large, sharp spine
projects from each side. Eight short spines occur on each side between the large
spine and the eyes. The pincers, are large and somewhat unequal in size. The
fifth pair of legs is flattened for swimming. When Blue Crabs swim they look
like they are flying in water.
The crabs are scavengers, feeding on the bodies of dead animals. At spawning
time the female's abdomen swells with eggs. Larvae hatch two weeks after
fertilisation and remain attached to the female for a short time.
They are one of the world’s seafoods and are rich in protein.