How are Blue Crabs Different?

Hoisting a heaping bushel basket of blue crabs onto a wooden deck requires some muscle, but identifying male verses female musters up some skills! All blue crabs appear angry and snap aggressively at your rubber gloves and at each other, so the less time you spend handling them, the better. Plus, too much interaction with the crab tires them out and they’ll perish sooner. Even though they sport an olive-green appearance, they bear the name blue crab or in Latin, callinectes sapidus, which means “Beautiful Swimmer that is Savory.” When “grading” or sizing the crabs, the watermen will use their ability to quickly sight the difference between the male and female. Yes, they all have two pairs of claws, three pairs of walking legs, and two paddle-like legs, and remarkably walk sideways. Distinct appearance differences can make the grading process quick, efficient, and timely so the catch lives longer and reaches the crab house “without a hitch.”

If you’ve ever watched a commercial crabber and their wicked speed in sorting through crabs, you’ll see them separate a bushel of crabs from small to supers and male to female in a matter of minutes. A culling table on the boat makes the process quick with crabs measuring 5” plus, “keepers.” Smaller than 5” get tossed back into the bay. Three distinct features make it easy to sort between male and female. First, the males boast a bright blue, thicker front claw pair, while the females fittingly showcase red-tipped front claws. To give them female traits, some describe this appearance as “red nail polish,” but crabber beware. They will still snap viciously at you, so use caution! Secondly, the undercarriage of the male crab has a long pointy apron or abdominal flap. The Delmarva crowd quickly compared this feature to the Washington Monument. The females possess a “dome-like” appearance, described as the US Capitol. Even blue crabs caught in the Gulf of America sport DC’s iconic buildings! Thirdly, the males continue growing their entire lifespan of three years or so, but the females stop at maturity. The points on the top shell, however, keep growing on the females, so the crabber can quickly eye the bigger crabs as male and smaller as female. All three features do help in culling the crabs and the efficiency in delivering the catch.

Crab fans can thank the alacrity of these Chesapeake Bay watermen. Of course, transporting the catch in ideal conditions will ensure a 95% or better yield in a live crab delivery to the crab house. Reefer trucks, 50°F to 55°F with damp and ventilated conditions can keep the blue crab alive for up to 24 hours. Just make sure they don’t rest in a pool of water. Ironically, they will suffocate in these conditions. A successful delivery ensures massive steamed crab feasts and a mass of roe from the female “sook” crabs. When you know the difference, then it’s time to taste the difference. Which crab offers sweeter meat? Some say male “jimmy” crabs, while others attest female “sook” crabs. With your skills now in sorting between male and female crabs, it’s time for you to take the blue crab taste test!