Male blue crabs have bright blue claws, whereas female blue crabs have red-tipped claws (often likened to the red painted nails of female humans). blue crabs "paint their fingernails" (i.e., the tips of their claws are "painted" red!). Upon reaching maturity, a female blue crab’s flap opens. These crabs are incredibly sweet—and many aficionados prefer them to any other type of crab. Spawned, No. Tips for Buying Soft Shell Crabs to its current form. Think about this fact the next time you take a sook from these waters. A male blue crab’s apron is long and has a pointed tip, which is often facetiously called the “Washington Monument” by watermen. eggs. How to store and transport live crabs. But when we gorge on crabs, we don’t really check if we are about to eat a male or a female crab, do we? Also, it is generally advisable to throw females back as without enough females crabs cannot repopulate and keep up with crabbing missions that dwindle their numbers.Learn what a pregnant blue crab … As you will see in the following images, the male and female crab have entirely different shaped aprons which makes determining gender these recipes. What does this mean in plain English? maturity (determining the male's maturity is a bit trickier.). "Pregnant" female blue crabs carry fertilized eggs under their abdomen. A male blue crab, also called “jimmy” by boatmen, can be identified by its bright blue “chelipeds” or claws. However, you will notice that an adolescent male blue crab’s apron is shut, whereas an adult male blue crab’s apron is free to open, a sign of its readiness to mate. A immature (adolescent) female blue crab, known as a "Sally" or "She-Crab" to watermen, is easily identified In some areas, it may be illegal to catch female crabs in order to allow it to reproduce, so it is very important to know how to distinguish a female crab from a male crab. Barbecue Crabs (BBQ Crabs) The apron of male blue crabs has the shape of the Washington Monument because it is long and pointy, while the apron of the female blue crabs has the shape of the United States Capitol because it is round. It takes about two weeks for the eggs to "ripen" and be released into the water to hatch. However, upon close inspection, But first, a little science. her apron in order to mate and to carry eggs (see "Sponge Crab."). It is difficult to determine the sexual adulthood of the male blue crabs. Step-by-step instructions for dressing a What, then, is the difference between male and female blue crabs? Sign up for our newsletter to get comparisons delivered to your inbox. solution and liberally coated with Old Bay seasoning, Bue crabs are famous for their delectable tender meat. You take a lobster, shorten up its tail and fold it up under its body between the legs, then press the tail Here's an easy way to tell the difference between a male and female blue crab. The crab in size by hand adult How to choose horse crab, squid, shrimp, crab, freshat sweet, aromatic How to choose horse crab, squid, shrimp, crab, freshdium. Her apron is tightly sealed to her body and Maryland-Style (Old Bay) Seafood Seasonings © 2019 ZinskiNet, LLC. All rights reserved. It is illegal in many states to possess sponge crabs. The Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a member of the Brachyura - an order of crustaceans having a reduced abdomen, Maryland-Style Steamed Blue Crabs Steamed live in a beer/vinegar/water solution and liberally coated with Old Bay seasoning, Maryland-style crabs are a Chesapeake Bay tradition. Males mate several times in a lifetime, while females mate only once. Females are also a favorite because of the roe (eggs). a crab out of a lobster. Tips for Buying Hard Shell Crabs claws. An adult male blue crab may mate many times in its lifetime. In areas where catching female crabs is allowed, females are eaten not only for their delicious meat but also for their roe (eggs). A male blue crab’s apron is long and has a pointed tip, which is often facetiously called the “Washington Monument” by watermen. up into its bottom shell until it's flush. However they’re also the species of choice for an American seafood delicacy – the soft shell crab. As you can see highlighted in red, the aprons allow you to quickly determine the gender and maturity of the blue crab. They’re caught with dredges, traps, and bottom trawls, and also as a by-catch on shrimp boats. Maryland-Style (Old Bay) Seafood Seasonings. Learn the lingo and what to look for when buying You now have a crab... well, sort of! Males also have broader bodies and more pronounced spines than females. It means that the bulk of the sooks taken from Maryland and Virginia waters are females that Her broadly rounded abdomen is free to open and is not sealed shut as before. segment which hold his apron shut. Away from the coast they’re commonly found as frozen crab meat. Additionally, watermen call male blue crabs “jimmies,” adult female blue crabs “sooks,” and adolescent female blue crabs “sally.”. Unlike female blue crabs, there is no easy way to distinguish the sexual maturity of the male. From a distance these eggs resemble a sponge, hence New Jersey-Style To easily remember this, people liken these red tips to the “red nails” of female human beings. A mature (adult) female blue crab, known as a "Sook" to watermen, is identified as having an inverted "U" or Why does the shell turn red when cooked?