The topics of growth, reproduction, and characteristics will also be covered.

Blue crabs come from the family Portunidae a group of animals having jointed legs, segmented body, and a hard outer shell. (Capossela, 1990) It is a crustacean as are lobsters and shrimps. This crab stays in water although it could survive shortly out of it.

The growth of blue crabs is slowed in areas of high salinity. In the waters of average salinity, male crabs may grow to seven-nine inches. Females seldom make it past six. They can live an average of 2-2 1/2 years, although some make it to four years of age. The crab has to shed his hard shell in order to grow. It sometimes has to do this 25-30 times in his life, for about two days each. At this time the crab is called a "softshell." (Capossela, 1990) Small crabs shed every 3-5 days.

The blue crab occurs along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod south to Florida and around the Golf of Mexico to the Mississippi, and next to

will bulge with an egg mass of about 700,000 to two million eggs. The mass gradually turns from bright orange to yellow or brownish and then to blackish as they consume the individual egg yolks. The female at this time is called a "sponge crab," and must be returned in some states. (Bower, 1994) When the eggs hatch, they're very small and become part of a planktonic mass. At this stage they are called zoea larvae, and they look more like shrimp than crabs. During the first months of existence, they pass into a post larval stage, or megalops (where only a few million reach maturity.) After that, they begin to take on the shape of sdult crabs. Some crabs are swept in a group out in to the ocean, but those that make ir back into the estuary make their way to fresher water.

Hermit crabs have to go house-hunting now and then, so they can find larger shells to accommodate their increase in size as they grow. Sometimes it finds a shell

3. Bower, Bob. "Blue Crabs."Science News. June 1994.

diameter and usually a foot or two deep. They are found on salt marshes, far up in estuaries, and along the mouths of rivers often where the water is fresh.

A lot of mating is known to occur in late summer. Males usually mate several times, but females only once. The avereage male, usually about 15 months old and 5inches in length, will seek out a female of about the same age, but is smaller and about to shed because fertilization can only take place during this time. At this stage the female crab is called a "peeler." The male or "Jimmy" picks his chosen crab, and holds her gently to him with his legs. This is called "cradle carring." He protects her for a few days before and aftercopulation ( the act of uniting). At this point the crabs are called "doublers." They usually find well-protected places in shallow water, often in or close by vegetation, for their mating. After the pair has mated and parted, it is

the lobster is our most valuable food crustacean being highly valued for its edible qualities. It is also known as the hard-shell or soft-shell crab, suitable for the marke

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1419
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)