Along the Hudson River Estuary, you can find blue crabs from Troy to the New York Harbor. These crustaceans have five pairs of legs, the first pair are modified as claws for eating and defense, while the last pair of legs are modified for use as swimming paddles.
Blue crabs are omnivores, eating things such as mollusks, live or dead fish, and aquatic plants. This makes them a fun and fairly easy species to catch and they are very popular to eat. The Latin name of the blue crab is Callinectes sapidus, which means “beautiful savory swimmer” and is fitting with regards to their impressive swimming skills coupled with their culinary popularity.
Each year from July through October, Hudson River Fisheries biologists tag these crabs to learn more about the seasonal movements of the spawning population.
The tag legend has the tag number, New York State Department of Conservation research, and phone number ((845) 256-3009). If you catch a tagged crab, please call the phone number to report the tag number and location where the crab was caught. This recapture data is recorded from recreational and commercial crabbers along the Hudson River and marine waters.
A summary of tag returns documents the movement of crabs south to New York Harbor for winter. Recently, a crab was recaptured 294 days after it had been tagged in 2021.
This was a surprise as they generally molt their shells several times a year when they are mid-sized. One crab traveled 89 miles over 266 days from where it was tagged near Chelsea, New York to the mouth of the Raritan River in New Jersey. Another crab traveled approximately 99 miles over the course of 304 days to Hempstead Bay.
For more information about the blue crab, visit NYSDEC’s website Blue Crab in the Hudson River.
Photo of a tagged blue crab provided by DEC.