A crab is pregnant for approximately two weeks.
The gestation period for crabs, the time they carry their eggs before hatching, is relatively short. After fertilization, the female crab carries the eggs externally, attached to her abdomen. This egg mass is often referred to as a "sponge." During this period, the eggs undergo development, changing color as they mature. Initially, the eggs appear yellow or orange, and as they approach hatching, they darken to a chocolate brown color.
Once the eggs reach this dark brown stage, they are ready to hatch. The entire brooding process, from fertilization to hatching, typically takes around two weeks. The exact duration can vary slightly depending on the crab species and environmental factors such as water temperature. Female crabs often migrate to higher salinity waters near bay mouths to release the newly hatched larvae.
