Blue Claw
Overview
Callinectes sapidus (from the Greek calli = "beautiful" , nectes = "swimmer", and Latin sapidus = "savory") is most commonly refered tp as the blue crab, Atlantic blue crab, or the Blue Claw. It is a species of crab that lives in the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico that is characterized by its blue coloring. The difference between a male blue crab and a female blue crab is their abdomen. The male has a "obelisk" design on their abdomen while the female has a "dome" design. Blue Crabs are omnivores like humans. And, they can produce almost 8 million eggs in a lifetime.
C. sapidus is of significant culinary and economic importance in the United States, particularly in the state of Louisiana and the Chesapeake Bay area. It is so popular that it is the Maryland State Crustacean and is the state's largest commercial fish product.
C. sapidus is of significant culinary and economic importance in the United States, particularly in the state of Louisiana and the Chesapeake Bay area. It is so popular that it is the Maryland State Crustacean and is the state's largest commercial fish product.
Skeletal System
Like all arthropods, the C. Sapidus features an exoskeleton. This exoskeleton is typically divided into different functional units to allow flexibility for their rigid structure. For example, the head is a fused capsule; and the trunk is often divided into a series of articulating sclerites called tergites. In addition, the characteristic limbs of blue crabs need to be jointed. The exoskeleton has an internal surface that is often a set of specialized structures called apodemes that allow the attachment of muscles. These features of the crab are very complex in the internal part of the exoskeleton. The Blue Crab has segmented limbs as part of their exoskeleton. This is part of their need to be flexible but rigid. Their main part of their body is one oval-like structure containing most of the vital organs. There are several openings in the exoskeleton to allow functions like sight, eating, and going to the bathroom.