Blue crab is a highly valued food crab that lives in shallow waters along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The crab’s greenish-brown shell measures about 6 inches (15 centimeters) wide and 3 inches (8 centimeters) long. The legs and body are blue, and the tips of the legs and claws are reddish. The blue crab is a good swimmer. After molting (shedding) its shell and before the new shell hardens, the crab is known as a soft-shelled crab. At this stage, the whole crab may be cooked and eaten.
