| Callinectes similis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Portunidae |
| Genus: | Callinectes |
| Species: | C. similis |
| Binomial name | |
| Callinectes similis | |
Callinectes similis, sometimes called thelesser blue crab[1] ordwarf crab,[2] is a West Atlanticspecies ofblue crab. It wasdescribed byAustin B. Williams in 1966.
Callinectes similis is a good swimmer, and its lastpereiopods are expanded topaddles with which it swims. Adult males may grow up to a width of 122 millimetres (4.8 in), while females may reach 95 mm (3.7 in).[3]
Callinectes similis is most closely related toCallinectes danae,[4] a species also found in theGulf of Mexico, but whoserange extends as far south asRio Grande do Sul,[5] andC. ornatus, a species found fromNorth Carolina to Rio Grande do Sul.[6]C. similis is most easily separated fromC. danae andC. ornatus by the form of the first and secondpleopods in males.[7] It can be told apart from the more distantly relatedC. sapidus by the number of teeth on the front edge of thecarapace, there being six inC. similis and only four inC. sapidus.[7]
Callinectes similis is found in the WesternAtlantic Ocean,Caribbean Sea andGulf of Mexico from theUnited States toColombia. It reaches its northern limit nearDelaware Bay.[3] There has been considerable confusion between the various species ofCallinectes, and it now appears that all individuals reported asC. danae andC. ornatus from the Gulf of Mexico (with the exception of parts ofFlorida) are actuallyC. similis.[7]
Callinectes similis lives inmarshes andestuaries, being the dominant crab in openbays. The species is limited tosalinities of at least 15‰, andtemperature may also affect reproduction.[3]
The diet ofC. similis consists of a variety of foodstuffs, includingplants,fish,polychaetes, othercrustaceans includingFarfantepenaeus aztecus andPortunus gibbesii,molluscs such asMulinia lateralis, anddetritus.[2]
Spawning takes place in the spring and fall, with females returning to estuaries to release their eggs.[3] Ovigerous (egg-carrying) females carry an average of more than 250,000 eggs.[2]
Although it is not usually targeted because of its relatively small size,C. similis is sometimes caught alongsideC. sapidus.[3]