The marsh crab has a small, square carapace (shell) that varies in color from warm brown to dark olive. (North Carolina State Parks Natural Resources Inventory Database)
The marsh crab is a small shore crab that lives in salt and brackish marshes in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance:
Small, square carapace (shell)
Varies in color from warm brown to dark olive
Eyes on stalks located at the front corners of the body
Two teeth toward the front on either side of the carapace
Notch along the middle of the carapace
Carapace grows to 1 inch wide
Furry terminal joints on the first three walking legs
Habitat:
Found in salt and brackish cordgrass marshes and nearby mud flats
Lives communally within interconnected burrows in the mud. Burrows are 25-30 inches deep and are usually filled with water. Burrow entrances, which may be an inch or more in diameter, are located near the high-tide line.
Most active at night
Range:
Found throughout the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay
Ranges as far north as Arundel on the Bay near Annapolis, Maryland
Feeding:
Eats the outermost leaves of marsh plants, especially cordgrass
Sometimes preys upon fiddler crabs
Predators:
Black-crowned night herons are known predators
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Little is known about the marsh crab life cycle
Females may carry 5,000-13,000 eggs at a time and breed up to five times in her lifetime
Other Facts:
Also known as the purple marsh crab, the square-backed marsh crab and the heavy marsh crab
Males are known for making “rapping” sounds when defending their burrow
