Maryland Information

Did you know Maryland has it's own state crustacean?

In 1989, the Maryland Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) was designated the state crustacean. The blue crab is a important bottom-dwelling predator and a member of the swimming crab family, Portunidae. It is widely distributed from Nova Scotia to northern Argentina, but along the coasts of North America, it is most abundant from Texas to Massachusetts. Blue crabs are opportunistic and will feed on a variety of live and dead fish, crabs, clams, snails, eelgrass, sea lettuce and decayed vegetation. Male and female crabs can be distinguished by examining their segmented abdomen. The abdomen is folded and fitted snugly into a groove on the underside of the crab. The male's abdomen is long and slender, resembling an inverted "T". A female's abdomen changes as it matures; an immature female has a triangular shaped abdomen whereas, a mature female's is rounded.

Crabs grow by molting or shedding their shell. Just prior to molting, the crab is encased in both the hard, old outer shell and a soft, new one just beneath it. The blue crab is one of the most important species harvested in the Bay, and has the highest value of any commercial fishery and supports a recreational fishery of significant, but undetermined, value. Blue crabs are harvested as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs just prior to molting, and soft shell crabs immediately after the molt.

Here are some more fun crab facts:

• Callinectes sapidus means "Beautiful swimmer that is savory"
   
• Crabs reach maturity in 12 to 18 months
   
• Few crabs live longer than 3 years
   
• The largest crab recorded from Maryland was a male measuring 9 inches; however bigger crabs (10-11 inches) have been captured in DNR crab surveys
   
• The annual harvest of hard crabs from Chesapeake Bay accounts for over 50% of total U.S. landings
   
• Cannibalism of young blue crabs by larger crabs is common and may regulate population abundance
   
• A spring-spawned crab can reach a size of 2½ inches by their first winter
   

Or what about the history behind our state flag?

The Maryland flag has been described as the perfect flag - bold colors, interesting patterns, and correct heraldry - a flag that fairly shouts 'Maryland'. The design of the flag comes from the shield in the coat of arms of the Clavert Family, the colonial proprietors of Maryland. George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, adopted a coat of arms that included a shield with alternating quadrants featuring the yellow-and-black colors of his paternal family and the red-and -white colors of his maternal family, the Crosslands.

When the general Assembly in 1904 adopted a banner of this design as the state flag, a link was forged between modern-day Maryland and the very earliest chapter of the proprietorship of the Calvert family.

During the 2004 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill naming Lacrosse as the State Team Sport. It is one of several other symbols that represent Maryland's history and interests.

For other information on Maryland facts, history, politics, or programs and services click any of the links below.

City of Annapolis, MD
Maryland Municipal League