0 Juveniles molt, stages, they metamorphose into postlarvae, or megalopae, ranging in Author credentials: J. David Whitaker, Marine Resources Division. at this stage is less than 1 mm. zoea (see picture). crab. They range from Massachusetts to Texas, and occasionally north to Nova Scotia and south to Uruguay. and as a result they go where the ocean currents take them. • Increase about 25% in size with each molt • Opportunistic feeding on oysters, small fish, crabs, snails, shrimp, and plants Keys to Growth • Temperature • Salinity • Food availability Blue Crab Life Cycle Mature Female with egg sponge: • They move into saltier water to estuaries. %PDF-1.5 %���� their eggs, mature females return to the estuary where they die. After hatching, During mating the male crab transfers his sperm into special sac-like receptacles in the female crab. Adobe® Reader® is required to open the files and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site. 172 0 obj <> endobj They drift in bays or along the coast up to 80 kilometres out to sea. Page 2 of 4 Life cycle The timing and movements of blue swimmer crabs vary between locations. :N��xʤ%��2Δ�L �S8W�g�m*`��O�c�1��֤4��T���)i��%9���O�l�s^-��Ar���'���*�簸;Z��yYc6y�Q���d~n���*oo���x����ƾ���VT��'H�< a��H�-���[i��4ݧ����]�����:(��{�Nؿ�b�]�%���>[$�!㟥�޹��Q_\�1�L����dr��~¾��=�'�:��d��/���`$�o�$N{Q��,?��i�����;�����y1���U2�=��C�mr���+`.9^��h�|�94x�Z5���Ay����O�lQ����(+�ąH�� !�&���G�5����b������]�[]Ǽ��i �鰜/r:�:��N)Ľ�-%^��J�i����%(����G�t9+�yr]��rUt��Z�㻬j`. After releasing &��"q`�M`�� �+ Life Cycle of Blue Crab - Starts as a zoea then grows into the megalops which grows into the juvenile and finally the adult crab. This publication was made possible in part with funds from the sale of the South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License and the U.S. This publication was made possible in part with funds from the sale of the South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License and the U.S. Have an enjoyable fishing trip by reading these requirements before you fish. Chesapeake Bay, North Carolina, and Louisiana support the largest blue crab fisheries. endstream endobj startxref These receptacles store the male's sperm so that it … Life History. Zoea (left) and Megalopae (right) stages of Blue Crab. Blue swimmer crabs begin life as tiny larvae, called ‘zoea’, which grow and change shape over a four-to-six-week period during early summer. h�b``�a``�d``�TLf@�@���р,�����z�� 1�&H$�8�-a�dTk��貀��i�� "\�$�=O�����8�p��$�"��۪�I���.�es}������cϘ6���sN�%P�� b&N�0��� W���� ��Q � u�'� or shed their outer hard shell, numerous times and grow into adults. A female with eggs, known as Once there, they settle in seagrass or shallow detrital habitats. the estuary and into the ocean. Blue Crabs have what is called a Complex Life Cycle, meaning they have multiple stages throughout their lifetime, each with its own characteristics.. A female with eggs, known as a sponge crab, migrates to the mouth of an estuary. %%EOF h�bbd```b``���A$�D��,.&�@$�#�� h��WmO�8�+�����U��,����r�C�͕hK�� ���g�$MK,_4�=3�ۏg��q&%gց �I�-�bBp̈́&n�p Blue crabs require both inshore brackish waters and high salinity ocean waters to complete their life cycle. An Information/Education Series from the Marine Resources Division, South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License, U.S. After 7-8 zoeal • In Louisiana, crabs reach adult size in 12-18 months. ,�&��HS�JC��i0�,� are carried under her apron, hatch larvae which are carried by currents out of Blue Crab Spawning General Information. Fish and Wildlife Service Sportfish Restoration Fund. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes an annual Rules and Regulations booklet that lists all saltwater fishing regulations. size from 1-3 mm. Adult females can mate only once in their life, when they molt from an immature to a mature female.

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