Charybdis Hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a Nonindigenous Portunid Crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) Discovered in the Indian River Lagoon System of Florida
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28 December 1995 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAI. SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 108(4):643-648. 1995 Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a nonindigenous portunid crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) discovered in the Indian River lagoon system of Florida Rafael Lemaitre Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A. Abstract.—The portunid crab Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a species of Indo-Pacilic origin, is reported from the Indian River lagoon system of Florida. Although this species was reported in 1987-1988 from Cuba, Co- lombia, and Venezuela, this is the fii^t subsequent record in the western At- lantic, and the first in the continental United States. The specimens found in the Indian River include adults of both sexes (one female ovigerous), and juveniles, indicating that the population is reproducing and that this nonindig- enous species has become established in the region. This species must now be considered present in the tropical western Atlantic at least across the entire Caribbean region. Recognition characters of C. hellerii are provided, as well as a summary of what is known about its distribution, biology, and probable method of arrival. Comments on other marine decapods introduced in eastern North America are included. On 20 April 1995, two adult specimens, kay (1989) where it was also collected in a male and an ovigerous female of Charyb- 1988. Although there have been no subse- dis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a species quent published reports of this species, it has of Indo-Pacific origin, were caught in baited been found repeatedly since 1988 in the traps in the Indian River lagoon system of Santa Marta area of Colombia (N. H. Cam- Florida in the vicinity of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. pos, pers. comm.). The present report of C. The male, 74 X 49 mm of carapace width hellerii in eastern North America extends the X carapace length, remained alive in an range of this species in the western Atlantic aquarium for over a month until it was sac- across the Caribbean region, to include sub- rificed. The ovigerous female (.54 X 39 mm), tropical Florida. died the same day it was captured. Follow- Keys for the identification of species of ing an announcement at The Crustacean So- Charybdis as well as illustrations of C. hel- ciety's summer meeting (Lemaitre 1995) of lerii, are available in a number of publica- the discovery of these specimens, several re- tions (e.g., Chopra 1935, Leene 1938, Ste- searchers (see names in acknowledgments) phenson et al. 1957, Stephenson 1972, G6- working in the Indian River during the pe- mez & Martinez-Iglesias 1990). However, for riod May-August 1995, informed me that the benefit of researchers working in the New they had found additional adults and juve- World who may not have easy access to the niles in the Sebastian and Fort Pierce Inlets. earlier, more detailed taxonomic references, it Charybdis hellerii was first collected in seems appropriate to include here the most the western Atlantic in 1987 (Fig. I), in important recognition characters of this new- Cuba by G6mez & Martfnez-Iglesias (1990), ly introduced species. Such information may in Venezuela by Hem^dez & Bolaiios facilitate future discovery and monitoring of (1995), and in Colombia by Campos & Tiir- populations of this portunid crab. 644 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Fig. 1. Map showing collecting dates and locations of capture of Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867) in chronological order: 1, 2, Cuba: NE coast, Bahta Gibara (Provincia Holgufn), and S coast, Bahfa Cienfuegos (Provincia Cienfuegos) (G6mez & Martfnez-Iglesias 1990); 3, NE Venezuela: Ensenada de "nirpialito, Golfo de Cariaco (Estado Sucre) (Hem&ndez & Bolaiios 1995); 4, 5, Colombia: Bahfa de Portete (Guajira). and Bahfa Chengue (Magdalena) (Campos & TUrkay 1989); 6, eastern USA: Indian River, Ft. Pierce, Florida (this report). Method of capture.—The traps used were north of South Bridge (about 20 m from the cylindrical, and consisted of 50 cm-long mainland shoreline, in 4 m depth). After sections of PVC pipe of 20 cm diameter. capture, the specimens were transported to The ends of each cylinder trap were fitted the laboratories of the Smithsonian Marine with cone entrances made of galvanized Station at Link Port, Florida. The adult hardware cloth with a 1 cm mesh size. The male and ovigerous female specimens have cones were placed at each end with the nar- been deposited in the collections of the Na- row end facing the inside of the pipe. A tional Museum of Natural History, Smith- small plastic bait basket was tied in the sonian Institution, Washington, D.C., under midsection of each trap. Bait used was mul- catalogue number USNM 275907. let, purchased locally. Arrays of four traps were fixed to a long line, with a 20 kg lead Family Portunidae weight on each end of the line. Two such Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867) arrays were left overnight in the vicinity of Figs. 1, 2 the Ft. Pierce Inlet: one in a channel south of Little Jim Island (in 1.5 m depth); and Recognition characters.—Carapace with another in the Ft. Pierce turning basin just dorsal surface naked; anterolateral margin VOLUME 108, NUMBER 4 64S ^ *—"^ 4 ylt^^^F l'-^^ W%^... E^^l )Wf WL^^m-r^ ^ ^I^^^^^S^^^^^^K' J. ic£: l«% "^ u>» ^ IT Fig. 2. Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), male (74 X 49 mm), channel south of Little Jim Island, Ft. Pierce, Florida, USNM 275907. with 6 sharp, black-tipped teeth (including for light purple area on upper, inner surface outer orbital). Frontal region with 6 prom- of palm, and dark purple on dorsal surfaces inent teeth: 2 inner orbitals plus 4 blunt of distal 4 segments of walking and swim- submedians, latter reaching slightly in ad- ming legs. Carapace with pale green or whit- vance of orbitals. Chela stout; palm with 5 ish areas on frontal, hepatic and epibranchial strong black-tipped spines on dorsal face. regions. Fingers of chelipeds dark purple. Swimming leg with merus and carpus each Distribution.—Indo-Pacific: Japan, Phil- armed with strong black-tipped spine on ippines, New Caledonia, Australia, Hawaii, posterior margin distally; propodus with and throughout the Indian Ocean, including row of spines on posterior margin. Sixth ab- the Red Sea (Stephenson 1972, Kathirvel & dominal segment of male about as broad as Gopalakrishnan 1974, Vannini 1976, Javed long, posterodistal margins rounded; telson & Mustaquim 1994). Eastern Mediterranean: bluntly triangular, basal width less than dis- Israel, and Egypt (Steinitz 1929, Galil 1992). tal width of sixth abdominal segment. Male Western Atlantic: eastern Florida, Cuba, Co- first gonopods, when viewed in situ, reach- lombia, and Venezuela (Campos & Tiirkay ing approximately to suture between fifth 1989, G6mez & Martfnez-Iglesias 1990, and sixth thoracic somite, diverging in dis- Hemdndez & Bolafios 1995, this report). tal third; each with row of about 25 slender Biology.—This species is considered spines on lateral margin distally (spines di- commercial in southeast Asia (Moosa minishing in length distally). 1981). Not much is known about its biol- Coloration.—Overall dark green except ogy. The larvae of C. hellerii, for example. 646 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON have not been described. Other species of Iglesias (1990:71), it is also possible that Charybdis for which the complete larval this species was introduced in one or more development is known, have five to six sites and subsequently dispersed via larval zoeal stages and a megalopa (Greenwood & stages to various other coastal environments Fielder 1980). Fecundity of C. hellerii, as in the region. expressed by number of eggs, has been re- Presence in the Indian River of adults, in- ported to range from 22,517 to 292,050 cluding at least one ovigerous female, and eggs per female (Siddiqui & Ahmed 1992). juveniles, leaves little doubt that a reproduc- Other congeneric species (e.g., C. cruciata, ing population exists in this area and that the C. hoplites pusilla, C. natator, C. feriatus) species is already established. The scant in- with biology probably similar to that of C. formation available on the biology of C. hel- hellerii, are known to spawn year round but lerii indicates the potential of this species to with peaks in early spring and fall, and have successfully colonize marine ecosystems of fecundities ranging from 181,230 to South Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. 3,200,000 million eggs per female (Pillai & Marine decapods introduced in eastern Nair 1970, 1976; Campbell 1984; Sumpton North America.—Charybdis hellerii is the 1990). Charybdis hellerii prefers soft bot- third marine decapod to be introduced and tom, although it is also found in rocky bot- become established in the North American tom and among live coral, and ranges from Atliuitic coast. The other two being the west- the intertidal to 51 m in depth (Stephenson em Pacific grapsid crab Hemigrapsus san- et al. 1957, Galil 1992). Javed & Musta- guineus (see Williams & McDermott 1990, quim (1994) recently reported specimens of McDermott 1991), and the European portun- C. hellerii from Pakistan that were carrying id crab Carcinus maenas (see Hedgpeth acorn barnacles (Chelonibia patula) on the 1993, Carlton & Geller 1993, Cohen et al. carapace and chelipeds. 1995, Carlton & Cohen 1996). Hemigrapsus Timing and method of introduction.— sanguineus is now known from Cape Cod Reports on the presence of C. hellerii in the to Chesapeake Bay (J. T. Carlton, G. Ruiz, Caribbean and Florida suggest that the ar- A. H. Hines, Jr., pers. comms.). Carcinus rival of this species in the region occurred maenas is the oldest decapod introduction to in relatively recent times, probably in the eastern North America. This species is late 1980's (see Fig.