

Legislation that made the Maryland designation official was introduced by Montgomery County Del. No size limits are set for mature females, also known as “sooks.” Each sculpture is handcrafted by metal artist & coastal sculptor Chase Allen who. For soft crabs, the legal size is 3 ½ inches. Blue Crab Sculpture Handcrafted as Coastal Kitchen Decor. For male peeler crabs, the limit is 3 ¼ inches from April 1-July 14 and 3 ½ inches from July 15-Dec. In Maryland, the legal size for harvesting male crabs is 5 inches from April 1-July 14 and 5 ¼ inches from July 15-Dec. On the Chesapeake Bay, blue crab season is April 1-Dec. The salinity waters of the Wye and Chester rivers and Eastern Bay frequently result in the harvesting of giant males, called “jimmies.”

Marazzure Frozen Blue Swimming Crab (Whole Cleaned, cuts or Cooked). Integral to the state’s economy, its harvest is carefully nurtured and eagerly anticipated.Īccording to the Maryland State Archives, blue crabs are harvested as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs (just prior to molting), and soft shell crabs (immediately after the molt). Supreme Crab & Seafood offers Whole Cleaned Blue Crabs that originate from Tunisia. The brackish (slightly salty) water of Chesapeake Bay provides an ideal habitat for the blue crab, according to the Maryland State Archives. The claws on the adult female blue crab are tipped with red. Males can be seven to eight inches across, while females are a bit smaller in size. The species is native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and introduced internationally.Īccording to the National Wildlife Federation, blue crabs are strong swimmers, largely due to their fifth pair of legs, which are shaped like paddles. The blue crab is also known as the Chesapeake blue crab or the Atlantic blue crab. The blue crab’s scientific name translates as “beautiful swimmer that is savory.” Blue crab egg are reported to require 23 33 ppt salinity at temperatures between 19 C ( 66 F ) and 29 C ( 84 F ) for hatching ( Blue Crab Archives. Maryland happens to be one of them, as it named the blue crab its official crustacean in 1989.Īccording to the Maryland State Archives, the blue crab’s scientific name, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, honors Mary Jane Rathbun (1860-1943), the scientist who described the species in 1896. The contest tests students knowledge of oceanography. Just a few states in the nation have an official state crustacean. The Blue Crab Bowl is Virginias only ocean and marine science quiz competition for high school students.
