Stone Crabs Make Historic Debut in Chesapeake Bay Waters

For generations, Virginia watermen have pulled blue crabs, oysters, and striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay’s brackish waters. But this year brought an unexpected catch—one that has marine scientists particularly excited.

For the first time on record, watermen have caught stone crabs in Chesapeake Bay waters, marking a significant northward expansion of a species typically found from South Carolina to South America. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has confirmed four specimens in their laboratory, representing the first officially documented stone crabs in Virginia waters.

Unlike invasive species that disrupt local ecosystems, stone crabs are native to the Atlantic coast and are simply following warming waters into new territory. As climate change gradually raises water temperatures, these hardy crustaceans are finding suitable habitat further north than ever before.

They are expanding their range but are still native to the coast, unlike invasive species such as blue catfish.

For watermen accustomed to the bay’s familiar species, distinguishing stone crabs from their local cousins requires a keen eye. Juvenile stone crabs bear a striking resemblance to the Chesapeake’s common mud crabs, but several key features set them apart:

Stone crabs are notably larger than mud crabs and display distinctive striping on their legs. Most tellingly, stone crabs sport black-tipped claws—a stark contrast to mud crabs, whose dark claws fade to white at the tips. Stone crabs also have a bulkier appearance and muddier coloration compared to the bay’s iconic blue crabs.

In their traditional range, stone crabs support a distinctive commercial fishery, with Florida accounting for the overwhelming majority of stone crabs caught in the United States. The fishery operates on a sustainable principle: only the crabs’ meaty claws are harvested, while the animals themselves are returned to the water alive.

Stone crabs possess the remarkable ability to regenerate their lost claws within a few years, though researchers note that many crabs don’t survive the declawing process. This regenerative capability has made stone crab claws a prized delicacy in southern coastal cuisine.

VIMS researchers are eager to learn more about this expanding population and are calling on Virginia’s watermen to help track the species’ northward journey. Watermen who legally catch or spot stone crabs in Virginia waters are encouraged to contact the institute at rom@vims.edu.

Scientists say they can arrange to collect specimens, which will help researchers better understand how these typically southern crustaceans are adapting to their new northern environment.

As waters continue to warm and marine species adjust their ranges accordingly, the appearance of stone crabs in the Chesapeake may be just one example of the ecological shifts reshaping the Atlantic coast. For Virginia’s watermen, it’s a reminder that the bay’s bounty continues to evolve—one unexpected catch at a time.