Clickety Click, Clickety Click… big nippers.
- Blue swimmer crabs are also known as blue manna crab, flower crab, blue crab, sand crab and ‘blueys’.
- The scientific name of the blue swimmer crab is Portunus armatus, originally Portunus pelagicus.
- Blue swimmer crabs are large crabs native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean, and the middle east coast of the Mediterranean.
- Male blue swimmer crabs are blue with white spots and female crabs are a dull green brown.
- The main body, or carapace, of blue swimmer crabs can grow up to 25 cm (9.8 inches) in width.
- Blue swimmer crabs can’t live very long out of water.
- Blue swimmer crabs bury themselves in the sand or mud for most of the day.
- Blue swimmer crabs feed at high tide, mainly on fish, worms, molluscs and, crustaceans.
- Blue swimmer crabs are often caught for its meat, as it is very sweet.
- Male blue swimmer crabs are believed to become more territorial in cold waters than warm waters.
Bibliography:
Portunus Pelagicus, 2013 Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portunus_pelagicus>
