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blue crab eggs

We found a female blue crab at the Jersey Shore which had a 2" brown mass near its tail end held on by a piece of shell. Were these the crabs eggs? If they were, when do they release the eggs? Or does she keep them with her until they hatch? Thank you.
Wildlife Expert - Ken Burton

Very likely this was an egg mass, also called a "sponge." The female crab carries the sponge until the eggs hatch, a period of about two weeks.

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Blue Crab
Callinectes sapidus (Cancer sapidus)

    
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