![]() They are also found in fjord-like bays in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska. In North America, blue king crab calls the Diomede Islands, Point Hope, outer Kotzebue Sound, King Island, and Norton Sound home. In the Bering Sea, they live in the waters off St. ![]() From Japan (Hokkaido) to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Siberian coast to the Bering straits, you can find blue king crab. Habitat Where do Blue King Crabs live?īlue king crabs live in a variety of cold water locations. Sexual maturity comes for female blue king crabs around five years of age and six years for males. Japanese blue king crabs each release an average of 120,000 larvae, and Diomede crabs 60,000 larvae each. There is a reduction in fecundity of approximately 33% between egg and larvae stages. The bigger female crabs in the Pribilof Islands produce the most eggs, 162,360 eggs (110,033 larvae per crab). Matthew Island female crabs can become mature at 3 inches (along with Diomede crabs). During July to September, the larvae metamorphose.Ībout half of the blue king crab population reaches maturity at 5 inches, while St. Total, the larvae stage lasts for an estimated 2.5 to 4 months. In this stage, the larvae search for the best place to settle and then molt to the first juvenile stage. They can still swim, using their abdomen as a tail. In the fifth stage, the larvae do not eat, but transition from larvae and this is when they take on the shape of a small crab. In the first stage, the larvae (or zoeae) need to find food, phytoplankton and zooplankton, within 60 hours. Colder temperatures slow the development of the larvae, and the warmer the temperature, the faster the development. The larvae go through four stages lasting around 10 days each. It takes approximately 29 days for a female blue king crab to release her larvae. In the Pribilof Islands, female crabs release their larvae around the middle of April, while in other areas, larvae release occurs earlier in the year. They hatch their eggs from February to May of the next year, depending on the water temperature. From January to February, the female crabs carry the developing fertilized embryos for approximately 14 months. During spawn years, females molt and then mate, spawning up to 150,000 eggs. It is thought, however, that they can live for 20 to 30 years.īlue king crabs spawn biennially. Normally by examining hard parts of the shell, scientists would determine the age of the blue king crab, but those come off during molting, making it difficult to estimate the average lifespan of the blue king crab. The females use the little legs to clean their embryos, and the males use their little legs to transfer sperm to the female when it’s mating time. There are three sets of ‘walking’ legs, while the fifth pair is smaller and generally tucked underneath the back part of the shell. The first pair of legs contain the crab’s pincers. The ten legs of the blue king crab are matched in five pairs. In this period of its growth, the new shell can be soft, and the blue king crab is vulnerable to its predators, such as other crabs, fish, sea otters, and octopus. Then the existing outer shell splits open, and during this time, the new shell finishes growing underneath. Its exoskeleton does not expand, so it must molt off the crab as the crab grows, revealing a new shell underneath.įirst, the new shell begins to grow underneath. The blue king crab must shed the shell regularly while the crab is growing. Its spiny exoskeleton and carapace, or shell, help protect it from predators. The blue king crab is a decapod – it has ten legs. The blue king crab is brown with royal blue highlights. ![]() They have a fan-shaped ‘tail’ tucked underneath the rear of their shells. The Pribilof Island blue king crabs are among the largest crabs in the world. They are distinguishable in size from red king crabs (which can grow up to 24 lb and have a leg span of up to five feet). Blue king crabs are among the largest of the crustaceans. Male blue king crabs sometimes exceed 18 lb in weight. Characteristics & Appearance Weight & Length
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |