Stone Crab Life Cycle
Stone crabs live along the coastline of the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They live in bays and estuaries, feeding on oysters and other mollusks, worms and other crustaceans. They reach sexual maturity one year after hatching and have a long spawning season that lasts through spring and summer.
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Egg Stage
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The life cycle of the stone crab starts with a fertilized egg. The female stone crab releases them in large numbers when it spawns and the eggs will then hatch into a larval stage.
Larval Stage
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In the larval stage, the stone crabs are tiny and planktonic, free swimming in ocean water. Named zoeae, and resembling tiny shrimp, these will molt five times.
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Juvenile Stage
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After the final molt in the larval stage, the zoeae will emerge as megalopae, resembling tiny lobsters, which will eventually molt to form a tiny, juvenile crab. These will travel up into marshy areas in estuaries and bays, where they will spend the majority of their lives.
Mating
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Mature female crabs are able to reproduce immediately after they molt. The male will then cradle the female in its claws and transfer sperm to the female, which she will store for release when she spawns.
Egg Production
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The female will then migrate to an area where the salinity is higher in preparation for spawning. The female will produce a mass of eggs on her abdomen that numbers between 500,000 and 1 million eggs.
Spawning
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When the conditions are optimal, the female will fertilize the eggs and release them into the open water to start the life cycle over again.
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