On the occurrence of the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) in Sicilian inland waters

Abstract

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is included among the worst invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we report the finding of the species in two Sicilian rivers, the Irminio and the Imera Meridionale, where it was collected up to 6 km from the river mouths. Although several records of the species are already available from Italy, this is the first evidence of the occurrence of this invasive crab so far from the coastline in the whole country. In the light of the well-known impact of the Atlantic blue crab on the invaded water bodies, the monitoring of the species and appropriate mitigation strategies should be implemented in order to protect the threatened native biota of Sicilian inland waters.

When Nature Requires a Resource to Be Used—The Case of Callinectes sapidus: Distribution, Aggregation Patterns, and Spatial Structure in Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and Adjacent Waters

“…Incentivising the consumption of IAS would prove to be a viable option to both limit the proliferation of problematic species and to provide a source of fresh local food [50]. This apparently applicable suggestion, however, leaves some doubts regarding the health aspect of the resource: Callinectes sapidus individuals do, in fact, live in both fresh [51] and brackish water and sea water and could therefore be subject to uncontrolled contamination by pollutants, particularly in estuaries and river mouths where industrial and domestic discharges are very likely to converge and where the species abounds. The accumulation of contaminants and microplastics in Atlantic blue crab tissues and the risks of their consumption by humans are reported in several studies from different parts of the world [52][53][54][55][56][57], although contamination levels vary depending on the location.…”

Diversity and Distribution of the Inland Water Decapods of Sicily (Crustacea, Malacostraca)

“…The species has been reported to act as a vector of toxins and heavy metals to higher trophic levels and is considered responsible for biodiversity loss in the invaded ecosystems (see [37] and references therein). Infraorder Brachyura Latreille, 1802 Family Portunidae Rafinesque, 1815 Genus Callinectes Stimpson, 1860 Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896-Figure 2C References [38,39] Remarks Considered one of the 100 worst invasive alien species that occur in the Mediterranean Sea [40], the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, native to the western Atlantic Ocean, has been introduced nearly worldwide [41]. In Italy, the species is widespread and has been reported in the open sea, brackish coastal lagoons, and estuaries [41,42].…”

“…In Italy, the species is widespread and has been reported in the open sea, brackish coastal lagoons, and estuaries [41,42]. In Sicilian inland waters, the species has been recorded with very high densities in coastal ponds at Vendicari [38] and in two rivers (i.e., Irminio and Imera Meridionale [39]) (three sites, three cells-Figure 2C), casting some concerns about its possible impact on the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris Fritz et al 2005 [43,44], an endemic species occurring both in Vendicari coastal ponds and in the Imera Meridionale river. Family Potamidae Ortmann, 1896 Genus Potamon Savigny, 1816 Potamon fluviatile (Herbst, 1758 [in Herbst, 1782-1790])-Figure 2D References [14,[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54].…”

Environmental drivers of size-based population structure, sexual maturity and fecundity: A study of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) in the Mediterranean Sea

“…estuaries, lagoons) preferred for the blue crabs' life-cycle. However, the high frequency of sightings and occurrences of C. sapidus in Sicily [33] suggests that they find favorable conditions for maintaining sustainable populations. Following the numerous reports of C. sapidus by fishermen on the western Sicilian coasts, an investigation was conducted to identify viable populations.…”

“…However, the high frequency of sightings and occurrences of C . sapidus in Sicily [ 33 ] suggests that they find favorable conditions for maintaining sustainable populations. Following the numerous reports of C .…”