Blue crab
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| Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 |
The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus, from the Greek calli="beautiful", nectes="swimmer", and Latin sapidus="savory") is a crustacean found in the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, which is the Maryland State Crustacean and the subject of an extensive fishery.[1]
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[edit] Distribution and ecology
The blue crab is native to the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Argentina.[2] It has been introduced (via ballast water) to Japanese and European waters, and has been observed from the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.[3]
The natural predators of the blue crab include eels, drum, spot, trout, some sharks, cownose sting rays. The blue crab is an omnivore, eating both plants and animals. Blue crabs typically consume thin-shelled bivalves, annelids, fish, plants and nearly any other item they can find, including carrion.
[edit] Fishery and cookery
The Chesapeake Bay, shared by Maryland and Virginia, is famous for its blue crabs, and they are one of the most important economic items harvested from it. In 1993, the combined harvest of the blue crabs was around 100 million. Over the years the harvests of the blue crab dropped; in 2000, the combined harvest was around 45 million. In 19__[citation needed] the Maryland Department of Natural Resources created stricter guidelines for harvesting blue crabs to help increase populations. These include raising the legal size from 5 to 5¼ inches (from 12.7 to 13.3 cm) and limiting the days and times they may be caught. While blue crabs remain a popular food in the Chesapeake Bay area, the bay is not capable of meeting local demand, so crabs are shipped in from North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and Texas as well.
Typically blue crabs are harvested by either using a "crabpot". A typical "crabpot" is made out of wire and has two different levels, the bottom contains four different entrances for the crabs to enter through, but not able to exit from. They are baited with chicken or eel to attract the crabs, the bait is placed in a holding spot in the middle of the pot. Once the crab has swam into the pot they funnel into the top section of the pot and are unable to exit. The pots are checked typically once a day, the crabs that are caught are harvested, then the pot is re-baited for the next day.
The largest male crabs are known as "jimmies", and mature females as "sooks". Immature female crabs are known as "sallies" or "she-crabs".[1]
Most are eaten as hard-shell crabs, but they can be eaten unpeeled if caught just after molting, before the new shell has had time to harden. These are known as soft shell crabs. One popular form of consumption is to eat them steamed with Old Bay Seasoning, cracking and picking them by hand. Other popular forms are in crab cakes and in several varieties of soup. Blue crabs average 15% edible meat, and that meat is high in vitamin B12 - just three ounces of crab meat contain a full day's allowance of the vitamin.
[edit] Pop culture references
A children's book by Suzanne Tate, Crabby & Nabby: The Tale of Two Blue Crabs, deals with the life of the blue crab. The inside cover of the book says:
This book is all about the life cycle of the blue crab. An interesting fact about this species is that the male crab protects the mature female when it is a soft crab and in danger of being eaten by many species, including crabs. If the male did not protect the female crab, there would likely be no more blue crabs. Crab-shedding (keeping crabs penned up until they shed their shells) is a labor-intensive business. The crabs shed their shells around the clock, and that means that someone must be there to take them out of the water day and night. They will become hard crabs in just a few hours if left in the water. When they are removed from the water, it slows the hardening process. But that is not the biggest problem! Crabs in the tank must constantly be sorted to keep the ones that are still hard from eating the soft crabs. Hard crabs can literally eat up your profits! Little children are fascinated by crabs.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Maryland State Crustacean. Maryland State Archives (2005-12-27).
- ^ Callinectes sapidus. Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce (2004-10-11).
- ^ Callinectes sapidus. CIESM: The Mediterranean Marine Research Network (August 2006).
- ^ Crabby & Nabby: The Tale of Two Blue Crabs, by Suzanne Tate, illustrated by James Melvin.
- Suzanne Tate's web site
- [1] Dave Navarro On Blue Crabs
