ARTHROPODS: BLUE CRAB MOLTING Arthropods’ exoskeleton must be shed or molted when they grow. This sequence shows how a blue crab must pull its legs and body out of the old shell.
Times vary, but a 4- to 5-inch crab takes up to 2 or 3 hours to molt. Over the next 9 to 12 hours, the shell has a leathery feel and is called a Paper Shell. The crab then becomes stiff and brittle during the next 12 to 24 hours. The shell becomes hard after 72 hours but the crab contains little meat.
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Hello 👋
how long does it take to complete this?
Times vary, but a 4- to 5-inch crab takes up to 2 or 3 hours to molt. Over the next 9 to 12 hours, the shell has a leathery feel and is called a Paper Shell. The crab then becomes stiff and brittle during the next 12 to 24 hours. The shell becomes hard after 72 hours but the crab contains little meat.