Callinectes sapidus eats a large range of foods. Typically this species eats clams, oysters, and mussels as well as almost any vegetable or animal matter. This species will scavenge freshly dead animals but not long dead animals. The crabs will sometimes also eat young crabs.

Animal Foods: fish; mollusks; aquatic or marine worms; aquatic crustaceans; other marine invertebrates

Plant Foods: leaves

Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore , Vermivore, Eats other marine invertebrates, Scavenger ); herbivore (Folivore , Algivore); omnivore