FINDING OF THE MUD CRAB <i>DYSPANOPEUS SAYI </i>(S. I. SMITH, 1869) (BRACHYURA: XANTHOIDEA: PANOPEIDAE) IN THE SEA OF AZOV

Abstract

The mud crab Dyspanopeus sayi (S.I.Smith, 1869) was recorded in the waters of the European part of Russia in the coastal zone of the Kazantip Peninsula (Shelkovitsa bay) on the northern coast of the Kerch Peninsula and near the Arshintsevskaya Spit (Kerch) in August 2022 for the first time. The species natural geographic range is located along the entire Atlantic coast of North America and the invasion range includes the coastal waters of the Atlantic coast of Europe, the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea and the western part of the Black Sea. Discovered in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania in 2009, D. sayi has significantly expanded its distribution area in the Azov-Black Sea basin for the past 10 years. The most likely spread of this species by anthropogenic means as a result of intake, transportation and discharge of ballast water by marine transport vehicles, but the option of colonization from existing areas of settlement by transfer of crab larvae with marine currents cannot be excluded. The presence of females with eggs and different-sized crab specimens may indicate the presence of already established populations of mud crab D. sayi in the coastal areas of the Sea of Azov. D. sayi is an active invasive species inhabiting transitional waters between continental water bodies and the sea. Therefore, it is important to monitor the distribution of this crab in order to predict consequences for local species and ecosystems.