ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



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IIIE BLUE CRAB IN SWIMMINO roSIlION 

 Note oar-like hinder legs used for this purpose. 



SOME FACTS ABOUT THE BLUE CRAB. 



Ih/ R. C. OSHIRX. 



THE common edible crab is too well known 

 to the readers of the Bvlletin to require 

 a detailed description, but there are a 

 number of interesting structural features which 

 the casual observer may overlook and some 

 things with regard to its life history with which 

 the average reader may not be acquainted. 



There are altogether nine species of the genus 

 to which the blue crab belongs and they are dis- 

 tributed around both coasts of North and South 

 America and on the Atlantic coast of Africa. 

 The only species found in the middle Atlantic 

 states is Calliiiectes sapidus Rathbun, which 

 forms the subject of this article. The name 

 of the genus Callinectes means "beautiful swim- 

 mer." Probably no one but an enthusiastic 

 carcinologist, or expert on tiie Crustacea, would 

 think of calling any crab beautiful, though the 

 adult blue crab certainly has fine colors. The 

 name cannot by any means apply to its manner 

 of swimming, for, while it swims actively for 



a crab, its movements can scarcely be called 

 graceful. In comparison with other crabs, and 

 viewed from the standpoint of the naturalist, 

 however, the genus is certainly a fine one. The 

 specific name sapidus is strictly applicable, as 

 every lover of sea foods will testify. 



The blue crab ranges all along our coast from 

 Massachusetts Bay to Brazil and is very abund- 

 ant in the region about New York City. It is 

 not deterred from entering the harbor bj' the 

 jjolluted condition of the water nor prevented 

 by the brackish nature of the river from going 

 some miles up the Hudson. In fact it has been 

 found in fresh water as far up as Newburg. It 

 enters all the little inlets and passages and fre- 

 quents the open shore as well, but it is rather 

 |)artial to nniddy bottoms. 



The crab fishery is a very im))ortant business 

 in the middle Atlantic states as tiie following 

 figures, taken from the census re])ort of the 

 Fisheries of the United States for 1908 will 

 show. The states principally engaged in the 

 industries were in order of importance, Virginia, 

 Marvland, New York and New Jersey, and the 



