About Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863
Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863 is a species of swimming crab that belongs to the genus Callinectes. It can be told apart from its close relative, the Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), by a key physical feature: Callinectes ornatus has six frontal teeth on its carapace, while Callinectes sapidus only has four. Callinectes ornatus is also smaller than the Atlantic blue crab, reaching a maximum carapace width of just 93 millimeters (3.7 inches), compared to the 230 millimeters (9.1 inches) maximum width of C. sapidus. Because of its small size, Callinectes ornatus is not commercially exploited. The shells of this species range in color from light yellow-brown to red-brown. The lower tips of their claws are blue, and the two spikes on each side of their shells are shorter than those found on blue crabs. This species occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean and along the coastlines of the Caribbean. Its diet includes small crustaceans and small fish, and it also acts as a scavenger.
