Very common among kelp in nearshore ocean areas. Male Graceful kelp crab: Slender crab.

There are two ways to identify your crab as being either male or female including claw color and apron shape. The female blue crab has one additional sign which appears when an immature female crab, or "Sally," is about to perform her final pre-pubescent molt and become sexually mature, thus becoming a "Sook." Size ¾-1½ " Best identification characteristics: Large claws “Shield-shaped” carapace ; Long “spidery” legs ; Underside often a deep red color ; ID Photo. During this time, crabs are at great risk of getting eaten, but this is also the time when mating happens.Male crabs fertilise eggs held by the female. They have an impeccable eyesight. Found: Among rocky areas and pilings in the lower estuary. Known as an apron, this fanlike tail shelters a female's embryos for up to a year and helps the male fertilize female eggs. If you are trying to tell the gender of blue crabs by their claws, then it is fairly easy. Pick up your crab from the rear and gently turn him over. The bottom of a female blue crab. The female crab spider is much bigger than the male crab spider. A female common shore crab protecting its bright orange eggs. Blue crab males have blue claws while the females have red-tipped claws. Female crabs, however, have red tips on their claws like in the second picture.

A crab spider has the ability to blend in with its surroundings. The female blue crab has a rounded apron compared to the male. Female crabs can only mate after they molt, or shed their shell. Male crabs will have bright blue claws like the first picture below. The underside of a crab is called the apron. Simply examine her abdomen and note the color of her apron. A red-sign Sally will have a dark, purple colored, abdomen. Types of Crab Spiders. Eight extremely scary and unnerving eyes. Female Graceful kelp crab: Graceful kelp crab. One more distinguishing feature about the crab spider is the eight eyes it has. Sand crab; Scientific name: Portunis armatus (pelagicus) Size Range: Maximum length — 22cm; Size limits on takes: Minimum size 11.5cm; Possession limits on takes: possession limit 20 (females are protected and must be immediately returned unharmed to the water) Description: males are blue or purple with pearly white mottling After moulting, the soft shell needs to harden.

When a female is about to molt, she releases pheromones that attract male crabs who then fight over the female. Females Have Big Aprons When you flip a male and female Alaskan king crab over, you can readily see a difference in the tail flaps that fold over the bottoms of their shells. The older the female … Yeah, you heard us right.

See images below. In some species of crabs, like the fiddler crab, males will have one claw that is significantly larger than the other. First, take a look at the crab’s claws.

During mating, the male crab carries the female on his back for up to two weeks, after which the female stores the male's sperm in sacs on her abdomen. As crabs grow they moult their hard shell after a new, soft shell has developed underneath.