Rapid invasion of the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

We report new localities for Callinectes sapidus in the Iberian Peninsula that widen the north-eastern limit of its distribution by more than 206 km along the Iberian Mediterranean coastline. This invasive species has been captured in the estuaries of the Fluvià, Muga and Ter rivers and has become established in the Fluvià River in only nine months since the first individual was detected. These reports show how rapid expansion of C. sapidus can be and that this may be preceded by the presence of isolated individuals