Expansion history of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula (Western Mediterranean Sea).

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Expansion history of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula (Western Mediterranean Sea). Carmen Barberá1*, Silvia Falco2, Isabel Esteso1, Andres Izquierdo1, Jose M. Martín3, Miguel Rodilla2 and Alfonso A. Ramos-Esplá4 1 Research Marine Centre, University of Alicante, Spain 2 Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain 3 Independent researcher, Spain 4 University of Alicante, Spain Abstract In the last five years (2014-2018), C. sapidus has expanded dramatically in the Iberian Levantine coast, from the Ebro Delta to the Mar Menor. The results of first occurrence in the different localities of Iberian Levantine coast and lagoons show two possible foci of expansion. This recent colonization could have happened by three different pathways: i) arrival of larvae by ballast waters of merchant vessels; ii) natural spread by current pathways; and/or iii) intentional introduction for commercial purposes. Key words: Callinectes sapidus, alien species, vectors, E-Iberian Peninsula, Western Mediterranean Introducción The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Brachyura: Portunidae) was recorded for the first time in the Iberian Mediterraneanis in 2004 (Giménez-Casalduero 2016, in the Mar Menor, Murcia). However, its impact on local fisheries started to be noteworthy in 2012 in the Delta del Ebro (Castejón & Guerao 2013). Laterly, its expansion has sped up in 2014 in the Valencia region (González-Wangüemert & Pujol, 2016; Izquierdo-Gómez & Izquierdo-Muñoz, 2016; Mancinelli et al, 2017) in the Albufera lagoon (Valencia, in October) and the mouth of Segura river (Alicante, in December); and the Balearic Islands in 2017 (García et al. 2018). Since the date of first occurrence the distribution of blue crab showed a fast expansion in the area of Valencia region, we discuss possible vectors of introduction. Material and methods The study area is the Valencia region, comprising the Gulf of Valencia (Castellón, and Valencia) and Alicante, with about 500 km of coast from Vinaroz as the northernmost harbour to Torrevieja in the south. The information was obtained from sampling, interviews with professional fishermen, consultation of social networks and discussion forums for sports divers and fishermen. Moreover, the Centre for Marine Research (hereafter CIMAR) has a public database on exotic species from local knowledge in the area based in the collaboration between scientists and citizens. Results and discussion In the last five years (2014-2018), C. sapidus has expanded dramatically in the Iberian Levantine coast, from the Ebro Delta to the Mar Menor. The results of first occurrence in the different localities of Valencia region show two possible foci of expansion. One in the north, with a possible origin in the Delta of the Ebro and expanding quickly southwards, colonizing the coasts and coastal lagoons of Castellón and Valencia, during 2015. The second spread from the mouth of the Segura, but more slowly towards the north into the province of Alicante, reaching San Antonio Cape in 2018. In both cases, the progressive colonization from the two previous foci could be aided by the pattern of coastal surface currents of the Iberian Mediterranean (Fernandez et al. 2005). This recent colonization of the Iberian Levantine coast and lagoons could have happened by three different pathways: i) arrival of larvae by ballast waters of merchant vessels; ii) natural spread by current pathways; and/or iii) intentional introduction for commercial purposes. The most probable vector of the appearance in the Ebro Delta may be the transport of larvae in ballast water. There is a nearby cement factory and a cargo harbour where merchant ships arrive from America. The southward expansion (gulf of Valencia) from this point could have happened without external factors, simply following the coastal current. Arrival to the Segura River is not clear. Intentional introduction by man cannot be ruled out, as the Atlantic blue crab has high gastronomic interest and market value. Genetic studies of populations north and south of Cape San Antonio are necessary Acknowledgements The fishermen's cooperatives of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, and the staff of the Albufera, Hondo de Elche and Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Parks for their important collaboration. References Fernandez V, Dietrich DE, Haney RL, Tintore J (2005). Mesoscale, seasonal and interannual variability in the Mediterranean Sea using a numerical ocean model. Progr Ocean 66: 321–340 Garcia L, Pinya S, Colomar V, París T, Puig M, Rebassa M, Mayol J (2018). The first recorded occurrences of the invasive crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae) in coastal lagoons of the Balearic Islands (Spain). BioInvas Rec 7 (2): 191-196. Giménez Casalduero F, Ramos Espla AA, Izquierdo Muñoz A, Gomaríz Castillo F, Martínez Hernández FJ, González-Carrión F. 2016. Invertebrados marinos alóctonos en el Mar Menor. En: VM Leon y JM Bellido (eds.) Mar Menor, un ecosistema singular y sensible. Evaluación científica de su estado. Temas de Oceanografía, IEO-MEC: 157-178. González-Wangüemert M, Pujol JA (2016) First record of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Portunidae) in the Segura River mouth (Spain, southwestern Mediterranean Sea). Turkish J Zool 40: 615–619. Izquierdo-Gómez D, Izquierdo-Muñoz A (2016). Evidence on the establishment of the American blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathburn, 1896, in the Levantine coast of Spain (Western Mediterranean Sea). In: PK Karachle et al. New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (March 2016). Medit Mar Sci 17 (1): 232-233. Mancinelli G, Chainho P, Cilenti L, Falco S, Kapiris K, Katselis G, Ribeiro F (2017). The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in southern European coastal waters: Distribution, impact and prospective invasion management strategies. Mar Poll Bull 119 (2017) 5–11. Keywords: Callinectes sapidus, alien species, vectors, Iberian Peninsula, Western Mediterranean Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Global Change, Invasive Species and Conservation Citation: Barberá C, Falco S, Esteso I, Izquierdo A, Martín JM, Rodilla M and Ramos-Esplá AA (2019). Expansion history of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula (Western Mediterranean Sea).. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00117 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 12 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Prof. Carmen Barberá, Research Marine Centre, University of Alicante, Santa Pola, Spain, carmen.barbera@ua.es Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Carmen Barberá Silvia Falco Isabel Esteso Andres Izquierdo Jose M Martín Miguel Rodilla Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá Google Carmen Barberá Silvia Falco Isabel Esteso Andres Izquierdo Jose M Martín Miguel Rodilla Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá Google Scholar Carmen Barberá Silvia Falco Isabel Esteso Andres Izquierdo Jose M Martín Miguel Rodilla Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá PubMed Carmen Barberá Silvia Falco Isabel Esteso Andres Izquierdo Jose M Martín Miguel Rodilla Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. 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