Blue Crab

Native to the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, from Nova Scotia to Argentina, the blue crab has been found in the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, and Black Seas. The blue crab is an omnivore, eating small fish and plants.

In the state of Maryland, Chesapeake Bay yields about US $45 million a year in blue crab harvest, making it famous for its blue crabs. Ironically, due to the lucrative export and declining numbers of the blue crab, consumers in the Chesapeake Bay area rarely get to enjoy their famous crustacean. In fact, most of the whole blue crabs sold in Maryland restaurants are imported from North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas. Crab cakes made from blue crab are in such demand that they are frozen and sold via mail order, sometimes even overseas.