He’s mean, he’s smart, he’s fast, he’s agressive – and he’s blue.
Callinectes sapidus (coming from the Greek calli meaning “beautiful“, nectes meaning “swimmer“, and the Latin sapidus meaning “savoury“), or, easier to pronounce, the ‘Blue Crab’, is now well established in the P-O. and even beckoning a bit of a pest!
You certainly wouldn’t want one nipping your bottom, but apparently they are very tasty when it’s you eating them and not the other way round! A big boy can weigh more than 500 grams so plenty to get your mouth round!
And don’t be fooled by his pretty blue shell. He can apparently shuffle 15 km per day, and his sharp, plier like claws have already cut through many a fisherman’s net in the seas and lagoons of Argeles, Canet and Leucate.
And it’s not just nets that suffer. This crab can lay waste to eco systems through his voracious appetite, chomping his way through mussels, oysters, clams and other shellfish.
Local chefs are cautiously optimistic about adding this delicacy to their menu – but they’ll have to catch him first!
Just go to the pond at Canet, you will find loads of them.
Has anyone else used the new Ants site this month (July) to apply to exchange an English licence that is about to expire for a French one?
I have tried twice since the new site came on line and each time been rejected and told to appeal.
I understood that an agreement had been reached between France and England to allow those whose licences either had expired or were about to expire, to exchange their licence for a french one.
Hello Vicki. Did you mean to put this on this page about the blue crab? 🙂