Prepare them as soon as possible. This bivalve has declined in Maryland due to MAX and oyster parasites, and is very difficult to find. This makes it difficult for diseases to get established. Crabs begin life as tiny larvae, then grow rapidly by repeatedly shedding their shells. They often reaching adult size in their second summer.
Mature females carry up to two million orange eggs beneath the apron.
Crabs only spawn in salt water, yet young crabs thrive and grow to their largest size in brackish water. After maturing, crabs are known to live at least one more year and some live for three years. Equipped with powerful red-tipped claws and the ability to swim, blue crabs are skilled predators as well as scavengers. The easiest and most common method of crabbing requites a piece of string, bait, net and container. Turn the net over and gently shake the crab into a bucket or container.