Blue Crab

The Blue Crab is a popular icon in the Chesapeake Bay region and is designated the Maryland State crustacean. Blue crabs are found in brackish coastal lagoons and estuaries from Nova Scotia, through the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as Uruguay. Prized by humans for their sweet, tender meat, these wide-ranging, ten-legged crustaceans are an established representative of Chesapeake Bay culture. Their scientific name, Callinectes sapidus, means "savory beautiful swimmer."