Their Scientific Name Suggests They're Delicious The blue crab's scientific name is Callinectes sapidus, which translates to “savory beautiful swimmer.” Indeed, their back legs, which are paddle shaped, make them excellent swimmers. And blue crabs are prized for their sweet, delicate flavor and tender meat.

Scientists' general understanding of the life cycle of Chesapeake Bay crabs is this: They are spawned in salty Virginia waters near the mouth of the bay, spend their earliest days floating in the Atlantic Ocean, then begin migrating up the bay toward Maryland.

By comparing the weight to known containers with known weights, we estimated that we had about 1 pound of crab meat. This meat came from 1/2 dozen crabs that averaged 6-inches.

Red king crabs can grow very large with the record female and male weighing 10.5 and 24 pounds, respectively. These large crabs were estimated to be 20–30 years old. The male's leg span was nearly 5 feet across.