blue crabs
Blue Crabs
Blue Crabs separate themselves from all other marine species in a variety of ways. Unlike other types of marine species; blue crabs spawn at different times. Blue crabs reproduce by the sexual reproduction when the male crab transfers sperm into the receptacles of the female blue crab. He female does not fertilize her eggs at this time however. The sperm stays in the receptacles and is saved for a later date in which the female will fertilize her eggs. The sperm that is in the female can last for up to a year and the sperm can be used on more than one occasion, up to two times fertilizing her eggs.
Once blue crabs mate they are forced to move to a better location to reproduce. This area they lay their eggs is called the spawning grounds. The female must prepare and gain strength before migrating to this area. Once there the female blue crab must produce a sponge like product for her to lay her eggs. The females have a hard time reaching these spawning grounds. The females take months to prepare for this migration. On average female blue crabs do not actually reproduce until two to nine months after actually mating. That is for the blue crabs that survive the dangers of getting to the spawning ground. The time that the female and male blue crabs mate is around the end of fall. Because the process takes so long the female blue crabs usually do not actually reproduce until the next year in the beginning of this season.
The egg development of a blue crab is interesting. When the female is ready to reproduce the egg will go from the ovaries through the seminal receptacles where they are then fertilized. The eggs are about .25 milliliters in diameter. Apart from producing the egg the female blue crab has to produce sponge that is attached to her abdomen by litter hairs until the eggs are hatched. The average number of eggs that the female blue crab produces is two million. However, depending on the size of the crab it can produce up to eight
Blue Crabs separate themselves from all other marine species in a variety of ways. Unlike other types of marine species; blue crabs spawn at different times. Blue crabs reproduce by the sexual reproduction when the male crab transfers sperm into the receptacles of the female blue crab. He female does not fertilize her eggs at this time however. The sperm stays in the receptacles and is saved for a later date in which the female will fertilize her eggs. The sperm that is in the female can last for up to a year and the sperm can be used on more than one occasion, up to two times fertilizing her eggs.
Once blue crabs mate they are forced to move to a better location to reproduce. This area they lay their eggs is called the spawning grounds. The female must prepare and gain strength before migrating to this area. Once there the female blue crab must produce a sponge like product for her to lay her eggs. The females have a hard time reaching these spawning grounds. The females take months to prepare for this migration. On average female blue crabs do not actually reproduce until two to nine months after actually mating. That is for the blue crabs that survive the dangers of getting to the spawning ground. The time that the female and male blue crabs mate is around the end of fall. Because the process takes so long the female blue crabs usually do not actually reproduce until the next year in the beginning of this season.
The egg development of a blue crab is interesting. When the female is ready to reproduce the egg will go from the ovaries through the seminal receptacles where they are then fertilized. The eggs are about .25 milliliters in diameter. Apart from producing the egg the female blue crab has to produce sponge that is attached to her abdomen by litter hairs until the eggs are hatched. The average number of eggs that the female blue crab produces is two million. However, depending on the size of the crab it can produce up to eight