What do zoea eat

The crab zoea has a slender, curved abdomen and a forked telson, but its most striking features are the long rostral and dorsal spines, sometimes augmented by further, lateral spines. These spines can be many times longer than the body of the larva. While they might be bright red when they hit your dinner plate, crabs and lobsters are usually brown, olive-green or gray when alive and in the wild at least in the mid-Atlantic U.

It has a cylindrical and elongated body bearing a cephalothorax and 6- segmented abdomen. Carapace is produced in front into a pointed rostrum. Lipcius, R. Concurrent decline in the spawning stock, recruitment, and larval abundance, and size of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in Chesapeake Bay.

Marine Ecology Progress Series Puckett B. Technical Report Series No. Steele, P. A synopsis of the biology of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun in Florida. In: H. Perry and W. Van Engle, eds. Blue Crab Colloq. Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Population dynamics and migration of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun , in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Procedures of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Population ecology of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, in a subtropical estuary: population structure, aspects of reproduction, and habitat partitioning.

Florida Marine Research Publications Turner, H. Wolcott, T. Wolcott and A. Post-mating behavior, intra-molt growth and onset of migration to Chesapeake Bay spawning grounds by adult female blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun.

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology Skip to main content. Report Issues Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Go Outdoors Florida! Molting blue crab During her adult life, the female blue crab remains in the estuary , although usually in higher salinity water than males.

Male holding immature female Sometime between March and December, when temperatures exceed 22 o C 72 o F , the female crab moves into the upper waters of the estuary where male crabs are concentrated. Environment: The crabs zoea larvae are pelagic. Misc: When the eggs from many different specie hatch in the sea, the resulting larvae seldom resemble their parents or live the same life style.

Female crabs usually carry their eggs on the underside of their rear and when the eggs hatch, small zoea larvae appear. To enable growth they have to slough their shell and when they are large enough they transform into larvae that start to look like their parents, but with a long tail that points backwards. This last adolescent stage is known as megalopa.