Atlantic Blue Crab

Callinectus sapidus

The Atlantic Blue Crab are found in most estuaries and salt marshes.  They are in the domain Eukarya, kingdom Animalia, phylum Arthropoda, class Malacostaca, order Decapoda, family Portunidae, genus Callinectus, species sapidus.  THis organism has a hard exoskeleton, with a bluish, brownish coloring, jointed legs, and compound eyes, and red claws.  The Atlantic Blue CRab’s claws are pointy and can impale and catch prey, this is a behavioral adaptation.  Another behavioral adaptation is this organism uses its claws to warn off and scare predators.  The coloring of the Atlantic Blue Crab is very similar to the coloring of the murky water, allowing it to blend in and hide from humans, this is a functional adaptation.  A group of Atlantic Blue Crabs is called a “cast”.  They are eaten by large fish and humans and they eat smaller fish.  The Atlantic Blue Crab has bilateral symmetry, it is a heterotroph, and is endothermic.