There’s nothing better than sharing the love, but officials as far away as North Carolina aren’t smiling about the latest invasive species to make its way from Florida’s east coast: the blue ground crab.
Officials in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have issued warnings about the crabs, asking residents to report sightings.
Here’s what you should know about blue crabs, starting with the fact that they’re not always blue.
How to Identify Blue Ground Crabs
Contrary to what their name suggests, blue land crabs are not always blue.
Adult crabs are usually blue, while juvenile crabs can be blue/blue-gray, tan, or white. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, females can change color from blue to tan/purple or violet during mating and/or when young.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says the crabs resemble large fiddler crabs, with one claw larger than the other.
The giant land crab is Florida’s largest semi-terrestrial crab, with a carapace up to 6 inches long, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Distribution range of blue earth crab
The land crab’s natural range is Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean, Texas, and southern Florida.
In South Florida, crabs can be found in low-lying areas of coastal counties. They are rarely found more than 5 miles from the coast, according to UF/IFAS.
Recently, however, they have also been spotted in North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina Center for Environmental Control, “Occasional sightings of large crabs have been reported in South Carolina since 2008. The first confirmed sighting of blue crabs in North Carolina occurred in the summer of 2023.”
“Researchers don’t yet know how widespread the crab is throughout the Carolinas, nor its impact on the environment and other wildlife. Whether the species is expanding through natural expansion of its range or from human-mediated sources is also unclear.”
This crab is also found in Texas.
Do crabs only live on land?
As adults, blue crabs dig and live in burrows on land. They can be found as far as five miles from the coast.
Females migrate to the ocean and lay their eggs in shallow water. Although females can lay 300,000 to 700,000 eggs per spawn, few larvae survive.
In Florida, spawning season (and the migration of females to the ocean) lasts from June to December, peaking in October and November, according to UF/IFAS.
What problems can blue land crabs cause?
Crabs dig burrows that may be 3 to 5 inches wide and 5 feet deep and can cause damage to yards and gardens. They can often be seen when heavy rain blows them to the ground.
Trying to catch a blue land crab could mean “a catch you won’t forget.”
What do blue earth crabs eat?
Giant land crabs are primarily vegetarians and enjoy young leaves, fruits, berries, flowers and some vegetables. Sometimes they will eat beetles or other large insects.
Is Blue Land Crab edible?
they are.
According to UF/IFAS, “blue crabs are used as a food source throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean.”
“They are especially popular in the Caribbean, thrown into the pot with some seasonings, and are said to taste a lot like the blue crabs found in the Chesapeake Bay,” says Wild South Florida.
“In Florida, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has received anecdotal reports of increased catches in certain areas of south and central Florida,” resulting in the catch restrictions.
The U.S. Department of the Interior reports that blue earth crabs carry salmonella.
While crabs are eaten in some areas of their origin, you have to catch them first, and they can be difficult to catch.
“In addition to being able to quickly retreat into burrows deep underground, crabs possess large claws that they use to deftly defend themselves,” the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said.
Florida Regulations Regarding Harvesting or Removing Blue Crabs
Crab removal is limited to November 1 to June 30. Crabs cannot be removed from July 1st to October 31st.
Another rule prohibits crab fishing on any federal, state or county maintained road, whether paved or not, or on the right-of-way of any state park.
Other names for blue land crab
Blue land crab, it’s official Concern about heartwormsalso known as land crab, giant land crab, or juey in Puerto Rico.
Officials in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina seek public help
“Following recent numerous reports of blue land crabs, biologists are asking North Carolina and South Carolina residents to report any sightings to help them learn more about this non-native species,” the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said. location of transmission.”
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