Its scientific name means “beautiful savory swimmer.”
COMPLETE SPECIES PROFILE
Blue crab
Callinectes sapidus
One species, many connections.
Also known as: Atlantic blue crab, blue swimmer crab
WHY IT MATTERS
One species, many connections.
It transfers energy between marshes, seagrass beds, shellfish, fish, birds, and people.
- Scientific name
- Callinectes sapidus
- Animal group
- Invertebrate · Arthropoda · Crustacea
- Environment
- Coastal
PUBLIC-DOMAIN VISUAL RECORDS
Two additional perspectives
Together with the primary image, these records show behavior and habitat without covering the photographs with labels.
INTERACTIVE TAXONOMY
Interactive classification
Select any rank to understand what the classification means.
DID YOU KNOW?
Curiosities that reveal how it lives
A blue crab must shed its shell to grow.
Females can store sperm for later egg production.
The last pair of legs is flattened into swimming paddles.
Where it lives
Estuaries, bays, salt marshes, and coastal waters of the western Atlantic.
How it lives
An opportunistic omnivore eating clams, worms, fish, plants, carrion, and other crabs.
Key adaptations
Paddle-shaped rear legs make it a strong swimmer, while its claws defend and capture food.
Its connections
It transfers energy between marshes, seagrass beds, shellfish, fish, birds, and people.
Pressures and protection
Water quality, habitat loss, fishing pressure, low oxygen, and temperature shifts influence abundance.