Dolphin Watch and Nature Tours
Educational Resources for Teachers and Schools

In the Net

Blue Crab
Callinectes sapidus
(Chesapeakebay, 2002)

• The blue crab is a crustacean and has 10 legs. The last legs are paddle shaped, enabling then to be very good swimmers (Fotheringham and Brunenmeister, 1989).
• “Callinectes” – in Greek means beautiful swimmer.
• Known for bright blue claws – is a dominant benthic predator in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal habitats.” (Chesapeakebay, 2002).
• They serve two purposes as both predator and prey.
• As a predator the adults feed on clams, other crustaceans, fish, marine worms, pants and decomposing animals and plants.
• As prey the juvenile blue crabs are feed upon by eels, fish, sharks and cownose rays.
• Females, like the one pictured, carry their eggs in clusters. Females about ready to spawn are known as sponge crabs.
• A single female crab can produce up to 8 million eggs in 1 mating season.” (Chesapeakebay, 2002).
• Blue crabs usually live up to 3 years, but may survive for as many as 8 years.
• Blue crabs like other arthropods molt their shell as they grow. When crabs are molting they are very vulnerable to predators and must hide in grass beds for protection.

• Moderate size fish, that is edible, but usually does not get big enough to warrant keeping.
• Pinfish have flattened incisors or peg like canines.
• They feed on plant life and invertebrates. They are notorious bait stealers, especially when fishing with shrimp.
• There habitat consist of marsh water. They are usually found in wharfs, around pilings and in grass flats.

• The ribbon fish, also called the Atlantic cutlassfish has no scales, its body is elongated and it has four large barbed teeth in its upper jaw.
• Ribbon fish are common close to shore and in the bays.
• Fisherman will troll off the back of a boat using ribbon fish as bait to catch king fish.
• Ribbon fish are capable of giving a nasty, painful bite.
• They die rapidly when removed from the water.

• Squid are the fastest swimmers among invertebrates.
• There bodies are formed to be aerodynamic, so that they can fly trough the water.
• They have an internal shell called a pen.
• Squids have fins attached to the side of their body that provides stabilization when swimming.
• Squids have 10 arms attached to its head, eight are short with suction cups on the surface. The other two tentacles are twice the length and there are suction cups only at the spoon shaped ends.
• Squid use their tentacles to grab at prey (fish) and then bite off the meat with its beak leaving the tail and gut.
• It is commonly used as bait.