Sexes

Sexes:
-Brachyura - an order of crustaceans having a reduced abdomen, or "apron. Sexes can be identified by the apron:
-In the male it is shaped like an inverted T, and the claws are blue.

The male abdomen "T" shaped and the blue claws

-In the female it is broader, and the claws are red.

immature & mature abdomen and the Red Claws

Mating:
- Female blue crabs mate only once in their lives
- when they become sexually mature immediately following their pubertal molt (immediately following this molt, the female is known as a "sook.")
- When approaching this pubertal molt, females release a pheromone in their urine which attracts males
- Male crabs compete for females and will carry and protect them, "cradle carrying,“
-when the female's shell is soften, the pair will mate.
- During mating, the female captures and stores the male's sperm in sac-like receptacles so that she can fertilize her eggs at a later time.
-Once the female's shell has hardened, the male will release her and she will migrate to higher salinity waters to spawn.
Spawning :
- After mating, females migrate to high-salinity waters in lower estuaries, sounds, and near-shore spawning areas.
-They over-winter before spawning by burrowing in the mud.
- Most females spawn for the first time two to nine months after mating, usually from May through August the following season.
- The female extrudes fertilized eggs into a cohesive mass, or "sponge," that remains attached to her abdomen until the larvae emerge.
-The average sponge contains about two million eggs and is formed in about two hours.
Life cycle:
Growth and development of the blue crab, as in other crustaceans, consist of a series of larval, juvenile, and adult stages during which a variety of morphological, behavioral, and physiological changes occur.