{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "blue-crab",
  "name": "Blue Crab",
  "scientificName": "Callinectes sapidus",
  "category": "Invertebrate",
  "summary": "The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a swift swimming crab of the western Atlantic, abundant in the brackish estuaries of the United States east coast and Gulf of Mexico. It has a broad shell up to about 23 cm (9 in) across and a pair of flattened rear legs that let it swim sideways through the water. An omnivore that lives three to four years, it is listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Malacostraca",
    "order": "Decapoda",
    "family": "Portunidae",
    "genus": "Callinectes"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.45,
    "lengthM": 0.23,
    "topSpeedKmh": 1.5,
    "lifespanYears": 4
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Callinectes sapidus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (fish, mollusks, plants, carrion)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Estuaries and coastal waters of the western Atlantic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "3–4 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Size",
      "value": "Shell up to about 23 cm (9 in) across"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Swims sideways with paddle-shaped legs"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Estuaries and coastal waters of the western Atlantic, from the eastern United States and Gulf of Mexico to Argentina.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans",
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Callinectes sapidus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Callinectes%20sapidus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Callinectes sapidus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Callinectes_sapidus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Blue Crab.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callinectes_sapidus"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-crab/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-crab/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}