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| | Blue Crab Life Cycle |
 | | Zoeal development may require 31 to 49 days, depending on salinity and temperature, but development time has been shown to be variable even in a single salinity-temperature regime (Williams 1965). |
 | | At various stages in the life cycle, blue crabs serve as both prey and as consumers of plankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, plants, mollusks, crustaceans (including other blue crabs), and organic debris. |
 | | Blue crabs are subject to predation throughout their life cycle and are particularly susceptible when they are soft during the molting process. |
| www.blue-crab.org /lifecycle1.htm (2093 words) |
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