The early life of a Chesapeake Bay blue crab can be perilous. A blue crab begins its life as an egg, adrift in the Atlantic ocean, then grows through several larval stages, including a brief period as the sinister-sounding, but delicate, megalops. Once it becomes an adult, it still faces the threat of predators such as other blue crabs, blue herons, and fish. Explore the different stages of a blue crab’s early life in this video.

Learn more about this important species by watching our Blue Crab 101 video and completing the Blue Crab 101 Investigation

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