First record of dyspanopeus sayi (Smith, 1869) (decapoda: Brachyura: Panopeidae) in a sardinian coastal lagoon (western mediterranean, Italy)

Abstract

The non-indigenous mud crab Dyspanopeus sayi (Smith, 1869), native to the western Atlantic, was recorded for the first time in a Sardinian lagoon. The first three specimens of this crab species were collected in the central area of the Santa Gilla lagoon on December 2013. Occurrence of the species was also recorded on December 2018 (102 specimens) and their main morphometric features were quantified. Although there are no certainties regarding the precise arrival date of this alien crab in Sardinia, its presence in the Santa Gilla lagoon might be related to the import of mussels for aquaculture purposes.