Species profile
The Atlantic blue crab is a swimming crab with an olive to bluish-green carapace that can reach up to 23 cm in width. Its claws are bright blue, with females showing distinctive red tips. The body is broad and flattened, and the last pair of legs is shaped like paddles, adapted for swimming. It is native to the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and it has spread widely in the Mediterranean since the mid-20th century where it inhabits estuaries, bays, and coastal waters.