New records of the invasive marine crab "Charybdis hellerii" (Crustacea, Brachyura) in Cuba

Abstract

The brachyuran crab Charybdis hellerii is originally from the Pacific; nevertheless, the species has been introduced to tropical waters globally. Its initial sighting in the Western Atlantic was documented in 1990 based on specimens collected in Cuba in 1987. In this paper, we present findings of C. hellerii from two localities in eastern Cuba: Santiago de Cuba and Taco bays. Up to this point, the species has solely been documented in estuaries in Cuba, and it likely exists throughout the entire archipelago. Given its feeding behaviour and extensive distribution, encompassing areas within the National Park Alejandro de Humboldt, this species can be key in the formulation of conservation plans for Cuban marine ecosystems.

Keywords

• bioinvasions
• Caribbean Sea
• conservation
• Decapoda
• Portunidae