Larvae of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Balearic Archipelago (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Png-Gonzalez, Lydia; Papiol, Vanesa; Balbín, Rosa; Cartes, Joan Enric; Carbonell, Aïna

doi:10.1186/s41200-021-00217-5

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In the Mediterranean, most reported records of C. sapidus link its range expansion to marine traffic, including both ballast water and hull fouling [10,12]; yet, one cannot exclude that the first Maltese record might be linked to the possible natural expansion of the species from neighbouring established populations, such as those found in Sicily. Callinectes sapidus is characterised by a long planktonic larval development, which may last a couple of weeks [26,34,67], while its megalopa is able to actively swim against the current flow in search of estuarine water [71,72]. Moreover, C. sapidus has been associated with jellyfish species [73][74][75].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Records of Callinectes sapidus (Crustacea, Portunidae) from Malta and the San Leonardo River Estuary in Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

et al. 2023

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The current study provides new data on the known records of the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, from the Maltese Islands through two ovigerous female specimens collected from Salini (Malta), a Natura 2000 site, in August 2020. Additional new records of the species were also presented from the San Leonardo River estuary, Syracuse (Sicily, Italy), in August 2022. The specimens collected from both Malta and Sicily were identified using both morphological and molecular analyses. The latter has shown that all the specimens analysed share their mitochondrial DNA barcode region with the most recorded haplotype of the same species from the Mediterranean Sea. Knowing the new distribution and range expansion records of alien species is important for the continuous monitoring of marine alien species, which is essential for the implementation of the best possible mitigation measures. This is especially relevant for C. sapidus, as it is considered one of the worst invaders of the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, given that this alien species is edible, fishing for it may allow some control over its population size and further expansion. Knowing its distribution is crucial to inform fishers about its exact location, making such a mitigation measure more effective.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Records of Callinectes sapidus (Crustacea, Portunidae) from Malta and the San Leonardo River Estuary in Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

et al. 2023

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“…This species often uses estuaries to complete its life cycle and is a particularly successful invader of marine and estuarine ecosystems, because of its high fecundity and larval survivability, broad environmental tolerance, large body size, aggressive behavior, omnivorous diet, and strong swimming ability (Nehring, 2011). The extended planktonic larval phase of this species maximizes its chances of introduction through ballast water (DiBacco et al, 2012), as well as natural dispersal (Encarnação et al, 2022;Png-Gonzalez et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Free Pass Through the Pillars of Hercules? Genetic and Historical Insights Into the Recent Expansion of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus to the West and the East of the Strait of Gibraltar

et al. 2022

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The invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus has considerably extended its distribution along the Gulf of Cadiz and Moroccan coasts in the northeast Atlantic. This could indicate a new introduction event in the Gulf of Cadiz from the native area, in case of detectable genetic differences from the Mediterranean Sea populations. To test this and reconstruct the invasion, we assessed the genetic structure of crabs in the Gulf of Cadiz and Alboran Sea. We used sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), in almost its full length (1511 basepairs), of 149 individuals from three sites along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, two in the Alboran Sea, and two in the Gulf of Cadiz. Our data reveal low genetic variability, with only two haplotypes (here referred to as CSWM1 and CSWM2), compared to its known high genetic diversity in the native range, indicating a strong founder effect in the study region. Here we document an inversion of haplotype predominance between regions, haplotype CSWM2 being dominant in most of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, but less frequent in the Gulf of Cadiz and Alboran Sea. This suggests a secondary introduction of propagules into the investigated area, rather than a new introduction from the native area, nor a natural westward expansion with environmental selection of one haplotype over the other. Further studies with additional populations would help to better unveil the history of yet another invasive species in the Gulf of Cadiz.

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Ingestion of microplastics and microfibers by the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun 1896) in the Balearic Islands, Spain

Compa,

Perelló,

Box

et al. 2023

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is native to the western coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and is currently considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we examined the stomach contents of C. sapidus to determine the frequency of occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) in the Balearic Islands archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea. A total of 120 individuals were collected from six locations between 2017 and 2020. Overall, 65.8% of the individuals had MPs and/or MFs particles with an average of 1.4 ± 1.6 particles ind.−1 of which an average of 1.0 ± 1.3 items ind.−1 were MFs and an average of 0.4 ± 0.8 items ind.−1 were MPs. In terms of type, fragments were the dominant type of MPs and the most common size of items ranged from between 0.5 and 1 mm (40%) followed by 1–5 mm (31%). The most prevalent polymers were low-density polyethylene (39%) and high-density polyethylene (26%). In terms of links to human activities, MP ingestion was positively correlated with an increase in drain pipes, whereas MF ingestion was positively correlated with an increase in sewage pipelines, providing evidence of potential sources and the bioavailability of these particles in various environments. This study confirms the widespread presence of MP and MF particles, even in areas that are currently managed under different protection statuses, in the stomach contents of invasive blue crab species throughout coastal communities.

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Larvae of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Balearic Archipelago (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

New Records of Callinectes sapidus (Crustacea, Portunidae) from Malta and the San Leonardo River Estuary in Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

New Records of Callinectes sapidus (Crustacea, Portunidae) from Malta and the San Leonardo River Estuary in Sicily (Central Mediterranean)

Free Pass Through the Pillars of Hercules? Genetic and Historical Insights Into the Recent Expansion of the Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus to the West and the East of the Strait of Gibraltar

Ingestion of microplastics and microfibers by the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun 1896) in the Balearic Islands, Spain

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