First record of a fertilized female blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), from the German Wadden Sea and subsequent secondary prevention measures

Stefan Nehring,Uilke van der Meer

doi:10.3391/ai.2010.5.2.15

Abstract

A single female specimen of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 was captured by a fisherman on 26 May 2008 in the East Frisian Wadden Sea, National Park of Lower Saxony, Germany. The specimen was transferred to a public marine aquarium in Dorumersiel. On 9 June 2008 the female extruded masses of fertilized eggs. Due to nature conservation efforts in this national park, management instructions are implemented by the appropriate authority for further dealing with the captured specimen and its potential offspring. This is the second record of a mature female and the first record of a fertilized female blue crab from German coastal waters of the North Sea.

Highlights

A single fertilized female specimen of the American blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, was caught by a shrimp fisherman using a shrimp beam trawl on 26 May 2008 while fishing in the East Frisian Wadden Sea at the Accumersieler Balje (53°43.7'N and 7°27.1'E), the tidal inlet between the German islands Baltrum and Langeoog at a water depth of 8 m (Figure 1, Table 1)
The specimen was transferred to a public marine aquarium in Dorumersiel
Due to nature conservation efforts in this national park, management instructions are implemented by the appropriate authority for further dealing with the captured specimen and its potential offspring

Summary

Introduction

A single fertilized female specimen of the American blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, was caught by a shrimp fisherman using a shrimp beam trawl on 26 May 2008 while fishing in the East Frisian Wadden Sea at the Accumersieler Balje (53°43.7'N and 7°27.1'E), the tidal inlet between the German islands Baltrum and Langeoog at a water depth of 8 m (Figure 1, Table 1). A single female specimen of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 was captured by a fisherman on 26 May 2008 in the East Frisian Wadden Sea, National Park of Lower Saxony, Germany.

Results

Conclusion