Editing Chinese mitten crab (section)

===Reproduction===
Mitten crabs are [[catadromous]] organisms, migrating from freshwater to saltwater for breeding. In late August, sexual instincts awaken and they begin migrating downstream to the sea, away from their feeding grounds. It is during this migration where the crabs reach puberty and develop their sex organs. The crabs begin to breed in the brackish waters in late fall. The males arrive first and stay in the brackish waters all winter; the females arrive after. The eggs are laid within 24 hours of mating, then attached to the abdomen of the female. After the eggs are attached, the female leaves immediately, heading to the mouth of the river. The larvae hatch from the eggs during the summer, after which they float and drift about the brackish waters. Because the journey to breed for crabs is so great, they only breed once during their lifetimes. The breeding age is normally toward the end of their lifespans. The crabs have sizable egg production count since these crabs only breed once. After the crabs successfully reproduce, they have very little energy and begin to waste away.<ref name=":1" />

Different life stages of the mitten crab:

# Eggs require pure salt water to mature.
# Larvae hatch from the eggs in brackish waters.
# The larvae gradually move from brackish water to fresh water.
# The final stage of the larvae is the [[megalopa]], which is {{convert|3|-|4|mm|in|frac=32|sp=us}} in length.
# The megalopa then develop into small mitten crabs in the freshwater.<ref name=":1" />