Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and

for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department

Species Fact Sheets

Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896)

Callinectes sapidus: (click for more)

Callinectes sapidus: (click for more)

Synonyms
Lupa hastata Say, 1817
Portunus diacantha Latreille, 1825
Lupa diacantha Milne-Edwards, 1834
Callinectes hastatus Ordway, 1883

FAO Names
En - Blue crab, Fr - Crabe bleu, Sp - Cangrejo azul.
3Alpha Code: CRB Taxonomic Code: 2311101202

Diagnostic Features
Carapace wider than long (more than twice including the antero-lateral spines). Front (excluding inner orbital
angles) bearing 2 obtuse to acuminate, broadly triangular teeth with sinuous inner margins longer than outer
margins; 9 anterolateral, acuminate teeth, the larger one at the lateral corner long and sharp-pointed, and having
a dorsal carina produced to the metagastric area; telson lanceolate, longer than wider. Chelipeds: strong with
granular ridges; fingers with strong irregular cutting teeth; merus with 3 very strong inner spines increasing in
size distally; the two last segments of the fifth legs flattened in form of paddles. Colour greyish, bluish to
brownish green dorsally. Diverse coloured tints present dorsally on the carapace ornamentation (spines or
tubercles) and legs. Males with fingers on pincers blue, orange in mature females.
Can be confused with: Other Callinectes species (C. bocourti, C. maracaiboensis, C. rathbunae, C. ornatus,
C. danae) occurring in the same area have the front of carapace with 4 more or less well developed teeth (2
frontal teeth in C. sapidus). The inner pair of teeth are clearly smaller than the outer pair in C. danae and they
are rudimentary in C. ornatus.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Geographical Distribution

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Launch the Aquatic Species Distribution Species distribution

map viewer
Cal l i nect es sapi dus

Base layers

FAO f ishing ar eas

200 naut ical m iles ar cs

FAO Fishing Ar eas codes

Western Atlantic: from Nova Scotia to Nothern Argentina including Bermuda, the West Indies and Caribbean
Sea. Introduced in the Eastern Atlantic (in the Noth Sea, and SW of France), in the northern and eastern
Mediterranean (North Adriatic Sea, S.of Italia) and also in Japan.

Habitat and Biology

A shelf-estuarine speciesdistributed at depths between 0-90 mon muddy and sandy bottoms.
The frequency of spawining depends of latitude, with two spawining periods (spring and summer) in the
Chesapeake Bay. Maximum longevity: 3 years.Non-selective feeding includes oysters, clams, other benthic
invertebrates, fishes, and plants material, also detritus and carrion.

Size
Carapace widths to 20.9 cm in males (9.1 cm carapace length, CL) and 20.4 cm in females (7.5 cm CL).
Range in mature females from 5.5 to 20 cm CW.

Interest to Fisheries
The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 105 238 t. The countries with the largest catches
were USA Atlantic, Northwest (60 329 t) and USA Atlantic, Western Central (31 459 t).
It is marketed fresh.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Global Capture Production for species (tonnes)
Source: FAO FishStat
150k

100k

50k

0k
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Callinectes sapidus

Global Aquaculture Production for species (tonnes)

Source: FAO FishStat
750

500

250

0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Callinectes sapidus

Local Names
English : Blue crab .
French : Crabe bleu , Crabe nageur .
German : Blaukrabbe .
Greek : Galázios kávouras .
Hebrew : Shayat-kahol .
Italian : Granchio nuotatore .
Russian : Sinii kzab .
Spanish : Cangrejo azul , Jaiba azul .
Turkish : Mavi yengeç .

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Bibliography
Fischer, W. (ed.). 1973FICHES FAO d'identification des especes pour les besoins de la Pêche. Méditerraneé et
Mer Noire (zone de Pêche 37). Vol. II Requins/raies, Crustacés et Mollusques.Rome, F.A.O.
Fischer, W. (ed.). 1978FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic
(fishery area 31) vol. VI.Rome, F.A.O.
Rathbun, M.J. 1930. The cancroid crabs of America of the families euryalidae, portunidae, atelecyclidae,
cancridae and xanthidae. . Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. 609 p.
Squires, H.J. 1990. Decapoda Crustacea of the Atlantic Coast of Canada. . Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries and
Aquatic sciences 221. 532 p.
Vera, J. 1992 Diccionario multilingüe de especies marinas para el mundo hispano.Ministerio de Agricultura,
Pesca y Alimentación. Secretaria General Técnica. 1282 pp.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department