What Types of Crabs and Shellfish Live in the Chesapeake Bay?
The Bay’s crabs and shellfish fall under two broad categories: mollusks and arthropods. Mollusks Mollusks include: • Bivalves, which have two valves (shells) and a foot. Clams, oysters, mussels and scallops are all bivalves. • Snails, or gastropods, which have one shell. • Cephalopods, which have an internal shell. The only Bay cephalopod is the brief squid. Arthropods Arthropods have an exoskeleton, or external skeleton, and must molt to grow. Arthropods include: • Crustaceans, which are primarily aquatic and include crabs, shrimps, barnacles, amphipods and isopods. • Horseshoe crabs, which are not true crabs. They are more closely related to terrestrial spiders and scorpions. Learn more about some common crabs, shellfish and other invertebrates that live in the Chesapeake Bay.
