Immortality is a sci-fi myth, right? Female blue crabs mate only once in their lives, when they become sexually mature immediately following their pubertal molt (immediately following this molt, the female is known as a "sook.") Eggs are generally laid shortly after mating. Crabs are complex, sensitive animals who want to live in the wild, not in a cage. After it is done grieving, the swan will either remain where it is alone, find a new stretch of water to live on (and possibly find a new mate), or re-join a flock. One of the most famous locations of these “love fests” occurs in Delaware Bay every year, where hundreds of thousands of these ancient critters can be seen on the shore. Even the most well-meaning person who purchases crabs will never be able to give them the life that they deserve. The Japanese spider crab is believed to have a life expectancy of up to 100 years. Crabs are just one of the many creatures that help keep the sea clean. If you or someone you know already has a hermit crab, check out this hermit crab care guide for helpful tips on keeping crabs happy. Before mating, males cradle a soft-shelled female in their legs, carrying her for several days while he searches for a protected area for her final molt. These birds apparently arrived here from Argentina in the late 1960s and early ’70s. According to The Swan Sanctuary, these animals generally mate for life, and "if a mate is lost, then the surviving mate will go through a grieving process like humans do." The females abdomen is wider than the males, as in most crabs, to provide space for the brooding egg mass. Thus the cycle of life is complete. Reproduction and Life Cycle. Not for these incredible animals. The larvae must find their food, however, they are provided with enough yolk that allows them to continue living for a while. When approaching this pubertal molt, females release a pheromone in their urine which attracts males. Once she molts, the pair mates. Fertilization is internal. We do not know for sure why this happens at this time of the year, which coincides often with the tides. Crabs will stay in this “pre-mating embrace” until females molt, this can go on as long as two weeks. Blue Crab Life Cycle. Every spring when the tide is high, horseshoe crabs travel up to the shoreline to mate and lay their eggs at night. The life cycle of the horseshoe crab looks like this: Egg->larvae->juvenile->adult->breeding adult . Show that special someone that you are wildly devoted to them by symbolically adopting a barn owl, gibbon or beaver today! Dungeness crab can only successfully mate when the female is newly molted. These spider crabs mate seasonally during spring, from January until March. Immortal animals. Mating Mating. References: Lesson Summary. Blue crabs mate from May through October in the brackish waters of the middle Chesapeake Bay. 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