Blue crab
<p><font size="3"> </font></p><p><font size="3">The <b>blue crab</b>, <i><b>Callinectes sapidus</b></i> (from the </font><a title="Greek language" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language"><font size="3">Greek</font></a><font size="3">
<i>calli</i>="beautiful", <i>nectes</i>="swimmer", and </font><a title="Latin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin"><font size="3">Latin</font></a><font size="3">
<i>sapidus</i>="savory"), is a </font><a title="Crustacean" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crustacean"><font size="3">crustacean</font></a><font size="3"> found in the waters of the western </font><a title="Atlantic Ocean" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean"><font size="3">Atlantic Ocean</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Gulf of Mexico" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico"><font size="3">Gulf of Mexico</font></a><font size="3">, which is the Maryland State Crustacean and the subject of an extensive fishery <sup class="reference" id="_ref-Maryland_0"><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crab#_note-Maryland">[1]</a></sup>.</font></p><p><font size="3">[attach]6077[/attach]</font></p><p><font size="3"></font></p><p><span class="mw-headline"><font size="3">Distribution and ecology</font></span></p><p><font size="3">It is found from </font><a title="Nova Scotia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia"><font size="3">Nova Scotia</font></a><font size="3"> to </font><a title="Argentina" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina"><font size="3">Argentina</font></a><font size="3"> <sup class="reference" id="_ref-0"><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crab#_note-0">[2]</a></sup>, and it has also been introduced via </font><a title="Ballast water" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballast_water"><font size="3">ballast water</font></a><font size="3"> to </font><a title="Japan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan"><font size="3">Japanese</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Europe" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe"><font size="3">European</font></a><font size="3"> waters, where it has been observed from the </font><a title="Baltic Sea" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea"><font size="3">Baltic Sea</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="North Sea" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea"><font size="3">North Sea</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Mediterranean Sea" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea"><font size="3">Mediterranean Sea</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Black Sea" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea"><font size="3">Black Sea</font></a><font size="3"> <sup class="reference" id="_ref-1"><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crab#_note-1">[3]</a></sup>.</font></p><p><font size="3">The natural predators of the blue crab include </font><a title="Eel" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel"><font size="3">eels</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Drum (fish)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_(fish)"><font size="3">drum</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Leiostomus xanthurus" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiostomus_xanthurus"><font size="3">spot</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Trout" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout"><font size="3">trout</font></a><font size="3">, some </font><a title="Shark" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark"><font size="3">sharks</font></a><font size="3">, cownose </font><a title="Sting ray" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sting_ray"><font size="3">sting rays</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Human" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human"><font size="3">humans</font></a><font size="3">. The blue crab is an </font><a title="Omnivore" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnivore"><font size="3">omnivore</font></a><font size="3">, eating both plants and other animals. Blue crabs typically consume thin-shelled </font><a title="Bivalve" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bivalve"><font size="3">bivalves</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Annelids" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annelids"><font size="3">annelids</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Fish" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish"><font size="3">fish</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Plants" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plants"><font size="3">plants</font></a><font size="3"> and nearly any other item they can find, including </font><a title="Carrion" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrion"><font size="3">carrion</font></a><font size="3">.</font></p><p><a id="Fishery_and_cookery" name="Fishery_and_cookery"><font size="3"></font></a></p><h2><span class="editsection"><font size="3">[</font><a title="Edit section: Fishery and cookery" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_crab&action=edit&section=2"><font size="3">edit</font></a><font size="3">]</font></span><font size="3">
<span class="mw-headline">Fishery and cookery</span></font></h2><p><font size="3">The </font><a title="Chesapeake Bay" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay"><font size="3">Chesapeake Bay</font></a><font size="3">, shared by </font><a title="Maryland" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland"><font size="3">Maryland</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Virginia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia"><font size="3">Virginia</font></a><font size="3">, is famous for its blue crabs, and they are one of the most important economic items harvested from it. In </font><a title="1993" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993"><font size="3">1993</font></a><font size="3">, the combined harvest of the blue crabs was around 100 million. Over the years the harvests of the blue crab dropped; in </font><a title="2000" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000"><font size="3">2000</font></a><font size="3">, the combined harvest was around 45 million. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has created stricter guidelines for harvesting blue crabs to help increase populations. These include raising the legal size from 5 to 5¼ </font><a title="Inch" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch"><font size="3">inches</font></a><font size="3"> (from 12.7 to 13.3 </font><a title="Centimetre" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centimetre"><font size="3">cm</font></a><font size="3">) and limiting the days and times they may be caught. While blue crabs remain a popular food in the Chesapeake Bay area, the bay is not capable of meeting local demand, so crabs are shipped in from </font><a title="North Carolina" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina"><font size="3">North Carolina</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Louisiana" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana"><font size="3">Louisiana</font></a><font size="3">, </font><a title="Florida" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida"><font size="3">Florida</font></a><font size="3"> and </font><a title="Texas" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas"><font size="3">Texas</font></a><font size="3"> as well.</font></p><p><font size="3">The largest male crabs are known as "jimmies", and mature females as "sooks". Immature female crabs are known as "sallies" or "she-crabs" <sup class="reference" id="_ref-Maryland_1"><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_crab#_note-Maryland">[1]</a></sup>.</font></p><p><font size="3">Most are eaten as hard-shell crabs, but they can be eaten unpeeled if caught just after molting, before the new shell has had time to harden. These are known as </font><a title="Soft shell crab" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_shell_crab"><font size="3">soft shell crabs</font></a><font size="3">. One popular form of consumption is to eat them steamed with </font><a title="Old Bay Seasoning" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bay_Seasoning"><font size="3">Old Bay Seasoning</font></a><font size="3">, cracking and picking them by hand. </font><a title="Crab cake" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_cake"><font size="3">Crab cakes</font></a><font size="3"> are also popular, as well as several varieties of </font><a title="Soup" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soup"><font size="3">soups</font></a><font size="3">. Blue crabs are extremely high in </font><a title="Cyanocobalamin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanocobalamin"><font size="3">vitamin B<sub>12</sub></font></a><font size="3"> with just three ounces of crab meat having a full daily allowance; blue crabs average 15% edible meat.</font></p><p><a id="Miscellany" name="Miscellany"><font size="3"></font></a></p><h2><span class="editsection"><font size="3">[</font><a title="Edit section: Miscellany" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_crab&action=edit&section=3"><font size="3">edit</font></a><font size="3">]</font></span><font size="3">
<span class="mw-headline">Miscellany</span></font></h2><p><font size="3">There is also a children's book called <i><a class="new" title="Crabby and Nabby" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crabby_and_Nabby&action=edit">Crabby and Nabby</a>: The Tale of Two Blue Crabs</i>, written by </font><a class="new" title="Suzanne Tate" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Suzanne_Tate&action=edit"><font size="3">Suzanne Tate</font></a><font size="3"> and illustrated by </font><a class="new" title="James Melvin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Melvin&action=edit"><font size="3">James Melvin</font></a><font size="3">.<br/></font></p>
