About Portunus sayi (Gibbes, 1850)
Portunus sayi reaches a length of about 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in). Its smooth, shiny carapace is nearly twice as broad as it is long, and has six interorbital teeth. Chelipeds (claws) are larger in males than in females, and the spines on the chelipeds have orange margins. The carapace, claws, and legs are usually pale brown with large white or flesh-coloured blotches, and the brown colour may have a purplish or greenish tinge. Like other members of its family, this crab is specially adapted for swimming rather than walking, because its fourth pair of legs are modified with flattened, paddle-like surfaces. It swims sideways instead of forwards and can move surprisingly swiftly. Portunus sayi is distributed in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Its range extends from Nova Scotia and the Gulf of Maine to southern Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. It can be found at depths down to about 18 metres (59 ft).
