Text says, The Blue Crab

illustration of an egg-bearing female crab with an orange sponge mass

Egg-bearing female crabs are called "sponge crabs."

Sponge crabs migrate to the saltier waters of the Bay near the ocean.

The female crab lays her eggs from 2 to 9 months after mating, depending upon when the mating took place.

The eggs hatch in about 2 weeks from June through September.
 

graphic reads Did You Know

Photograph of a immature female sponge crab with an orange sponge

picture of a mature female sponge crab with a black sponge

Young sponges are orange and gradually turn to brown and then black as the sponge matures.

graphic says, extra credit

Females develop an external egg mass on the underside of their abdomen which may contain between 750,000 and 8 million eggs, depending on the size of the crab.