Peekytoe Crab

Facts about Peekytoe Crabs, "Scientific name of the Peekytoe Crab is Cancer irroratus". Peekytoe Crab is a variety of crab that belongs to the Cancer genus of the Cancridae family. The Peekytoe Crab largely live in the Atlantic Ocean. Normally, the Peekytoe Crabs prefer to live in the benthic region of the ocean, and they are capable of adapting to extreme depth variations. The Peekytoe Crab live in a range of substrate types, as well as loose and rock-strewn material. Smaller crabs with the carapace width of 2 inches (50 mm) are inclined to live in sandy or muddy bottoms, whereas crabs with a higher carapace width prefer to live in the rock-strewn bottoms. The range of the Peekytoe Crabs extends from Labrador to the southern parts of Carolina in the shallow waters at a maximum depth of 2,600 feet (790 meters).

Features

There is a sexual dimorphism in the size of these Peekytoe Crab varieties. Usually, an adult male Peekytoe Crab attains a maximum carapace width, ranging from 2 inches to 5 19/32 inches (50 mm to 140 mm), whereas the females do not have a carapace width more than 4 inches. Moreover, the male Peekytoe Crabs are also heavier than the females with a body mass that ranges from 1.7 oz and 7.2 oz (49 grams to 202 grams)

Another interesting feature of the Peekytoe Crab is its teeth. The crab has nine minor teeth on the front border of the carapace next to each eye. These teeth are either wider and rough or smooth jagged teeth, according to its diet. The Peekytoe Crab has a contrasting body with yellow colored spots on its body.

The shape of the shell of the Peekytoe Crab is oval and it is wide. Normally, it is yellow in color and often seen with shades of purplish brown and red. The different range of colors gives this crab variety a unique and multicolored carapace.

Diet

Mostly, the Peekytoe Crab feeds on a variety of sea items, such as polychaetes, algae, gastropods, mussels, and a variety of crustaceans as well as hermit crabs.

Feeding behavior

The Peekytoe Crab is an opportunistic feeder. As the Peekytoe Crabs live in the benthic region of the ocean at extreme depths, their food resource is also restricted to species that can stay alive in this region. An interesting thing about the food habits of the Peekytoe Crab variety is that their receptiveness and likeness to food categories they were already familiarized with rather than to foods with which they were new. Subsequent to being fed one of the sea variety foods continuously, the Peekytoe Crab have the ability of noticing the dissimilarity in odors shown by these food items, and they will express a fondness for the most well-known foods.

Reproduction

Reproduction takes place in Peekytoe Crab varieties during the autumn season. Usually, male Peekytoe Crabs attain the sexual maturity when they attain the carapace width of 2 13/16 inches (70 mm), whereas the females attain the sexual maturity when the Peekytoe Crab attain the carapace width of 2 13/32 inches (60 mm). Earlier than the commencement of mating, both female and male crabs will molt their shell. Subsequent to fertilization, female Peekytoe Crab will lay her eggs and stocks them up under its stomach for one year. A female Peekytoe Crab is capable of laying eggs that range in numbers from 125,000 to 500,000.