Blue Crab     
                                      Callinectes sapidus    


habitat:  They live along the Atlantic Coast, from Cape Cod to Florida

domain:  Eukarya
 kingdom:  Animalia
phylum:  Arthropoda
class:  Malacostraca
order:   Decapoda
family:  Portunidae
genus:  Callinectes
species:  sapidus
 
The Blue Crab has radial symmetry.  They are gray, dull blue-green with truly blue claws.  Their functional adaptations are they use their chelipeds(claws) to feed and catch prey.  They use their pinchers to attack predators. Another adaptation is the that their last pair of their legs are paddle shaped for swimming.  An interesting fact about the Blue Crab is their average life span is 1-4 years.  They prey on crustaceans, fish, worms, plants, and almost anything they can find, including dead fish.  Their predators are bony fish, sharks, and rays.  The Blue Crab are heterotrophic and ectothermic.