The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in southern European coastal waters: Distribution, impact and prospective invasion management strategies

Abstract

The native distribution of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in the western Atlantic extends from Nova Scotia to Argentina. Introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, it is currently recorded almost ubiquitously in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea. An overview of the occurrence, abundance, and ecological impact of the species in southern European waters is provided; additionally, we present a pragmatic assessment of its management scenarios, explicitly considering the dual nature of C. sapidus as both an invasive species and a fishery resource. We emphasise that the ongoing expansion of C. sapidus in the region may represent a stimulating challenge for the identification and implementation of future strategies in the management of invasive crustaceans. The impact of the invader could be converted into an enhancement of the services delivered by southern European coastal ecosystems, while mitigation costs could be transformed into profits for local populations.

Color-specific porosity in double pigmented natural 3d-nanoarchitectures of blue crab shell

“…Semi-quantitative EDX elemental analysis ( Supplementary Table S2) confirmed the FT-Raman and XRD conclusions of low Mg-calcite, by consistently revealing Mg in all shell color types and cuticle layers alongside Ca, C and O as main elements, trace of P, K, Na, and spurious S and Cl. Furthermore, detection of P in all shells, correlated with the Raman band at 963 cm −1 containing contribution of PO 4 2− mode (Table 1), could indicate the presence of trace amount of carbonated hydroxyapatite, which is known to occur in crustacean cuticles 43,44 . However, this supposition is not supported by the XRD data showing that any phosphate mineral was under detection limit in the calcite matrix.…”

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2018)

“…The portunid blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, a species originating from the Western Atlantic, was introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. It is currently recorded almost ubiquitously in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea (Mancinelli et al, 2017). Transport in ballast water is considered the most probable vector of its introduction (Nehring, 2011).…”

Morphometric Relationships of the Global Invader Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) from Papapouli Lagoon, NW Aegean Sea, Greece. with Notes on Its Ecological Preferences

“…However, introduction through ballast water and/or for aquaculture purposes seems the most probable [22]. In the Mediterranean Sea, the blue crab appeared around 1949 [12,23] and is widely distributed along the coasts. Also, blue crabs were reported in the Black Sea [12,[23][24][25].…”

“…In the Mediterranean Sea, the blue crab appeared around 1949 [12,23] and is widely distributed along the coasts. Also, blue crabs were reported in the Black Sea [12,[23][24][25]. Furthermore, they have been recorded in Japan [26] and Hawaii [27].…”