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1. kho (kho@shitposter.club)'s status on Thursday, 28-Sep-2023 04:24:05 JST kho

   in reply to
   The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is known for its color and delicious flavor. The crab's scientific name means "savory beautiful swimmer." While blue crabs do have sapphire blue claws, their bodies are usually duller in color.
   
   Like other decapods, blue crabs have 10 legs. However, their hind legs are paddle-shaped, making blue crabs excellent swimmers. Blue crabs have blue legs and claws and olive to grayish blue bodies. The color comes mainly from the blue pigment alpha-crustacyanin and the red pigment astaxanthin. When blue crabs are cooked, heat deactivates the blue pigment and turns the crab red.
   
   Mating and spawning occur separately. Mating occurs in brackish water during warm months between May and October. Mature males molt and mate with multiple females over their lifespan, while each female undergoes a single molt into her mature form and only mates once. As she nears the molt, a male defends her against threats and other males. Insemination occurs after the female molts, providing her with spermatophores for a year of spawning. The male continues to guard her until her shell hardens. While mature males remain in brackish water, females migrate to high salinity water to spawn.