Seasonal abundance and trophic position of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896 in a Mediterranean coastal habitat

Abstract

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus, native to the western coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, has been introduced in Mediterranean waters where it is currently considered an invasive species. Here, we verified the occurrence of an established population of C. sapidus in the Torre Colimena basin, a Mediterranean habitat located in SE Italy, and provided a first assessment of its functional role in a Mediterranean coastal ecosystem. Crab traps were used to estimate the species abundance at a seasonal frequency; in addition, its trophic position was estimated in summer using nitrogen stable isotopes. Estimations were performed using both a generally adopted value of 3.4 ‰ for the nitrogen trophic level fractionation factor ∆15N, and species-specific estimations obtained from the literature. C. sapidus was sampled throughout the year, reaching peak abundances in summer. This result, taken together with the observed patterns of variation in the average body size and sex ratio of captured specimens, provided evidence of a fully established population in the Torre Colimena basin. The estimated trophic position of the crab was consistent with the literature information on western Atlantic populations, and resulted, irrespective of the fractionation factor used, significantly higher than those characterizing an autochthonous brachyuran (Pachygrapsus marmoratus) and a fish predator (Sparus aurata). The present study provided novel information on the occurrence and potential functional impact of this non-indigenous species in Mediterranean coastal habitats, highlighting current knowledge lacunae and identifying future research lines on marine alien species.