First record of the Indo-Pacific swimming crab Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) in the eastern Pacific Ocean coast

Mauricio Salas-Maldonado, Armando T. Wakida-Kusunoki, Alberto Bartoleño Sánchez, Laura Angélica Flores Ramírez, Casandra López-Terán

Submited: 2024-07-15 14:50:04 | Published: 2025-04-30 20:11:46

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol53-issue2-fulltext-3312

Abstract


The presence of the invasive swimming crab Charybdis hellerii is reported for the first time on the Mexican coast of the Pacific Ocean. Three specimens were collected as bycatch during artisanal fishing for crab Callinectes arcuatus in Laguna de Cuyutlán, Colima. The specimens foud include 1 female and 2 males. Due to their size (57 to 75 mm carapace width) and separated abdomen, they are considered adults. Further sampling and monitoring are required to find conclusive evidence that the species is established in this area and to understand the impacts it could have on the populations of other economically important native crab species.

Salas-Maldonado M, Wakida-Kusunoki A, Bartoleño Sánchez A, Flores Ramírez L, López-Terán C. First record of the Indo-Pacific swimming crab Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) in the eastern Pacific Ocean coast. Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Res.. 2025;53(2): 346-351. Available from: doi:10.3856/vol53-issue2-fulltext-3312 [Accessed 9 May. 2025].
Salas-Maldonado, M., Wakida-Kusunoki, A., Bartoleño Sánchez, A., Flores Ramírez, L., & López-Terán, C. (2025). First record of the Indo-Pacific swimming crab Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) in the eastern Pacific Ocean coast. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, 53(2), 346-351. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3856/vol53-issue2-fulltext-3312