Invasive Callinectes sapidus and Portunus segnis in Libyan waters
Corsini-Foka et al. (2021), BioInvasions Records 10(4): 885–893, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2021.10.4.13
891
two species are easily confused by fishermen as a result of their morphological
similarities, makes it contingent to conduct a future comprehensive scientific
survey along the same coastline in order to evaluate if the above two
invaders eventually share the same habitats (Mili et al. 2020).
Considering the great ability of these species to spread, their high
fecundity rate and aggressivity towards local species and physical damage
to fishing gears, specific surveillance, monitoring and participatory mapping
activities will be needed to evaluate the potential impact of these NIS on
the environment and on local Libyan fisheries. These strategies could be
useful in identifying fishery management measures and profitable market
niches to make new resources commercially exploitable, as is currently the
case in Tunisia, as a viable mitigation measure.
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to Hamdi Al Mozini for providing information on Callinectes sapidus
findings and the specimen studied. They also thank Mohamed Aljididi, Ryiad Jarafah, Ahmed
Al-Mahmodi, Mahmoud Basha, Hassan Al Moiaoe and Samir Al Madhoine for providing
photos and information on Portunus segnis. Authors are also indebted to two anonymous
reviewers for providing helpful suggestions that allowed us to improve greatly the first version
of the manuscript.
References
Abdalhamid AHA, Mohamed Ali S, Ali RAS, Elawad AN, Buzaid EMK (2017) Food and
feeding habits of the European eel Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) in Umm Hufayan
Lagoon, eastern Libya Mediterranean coast. Bulletin de l’Institut Scientifique, Rabat,
Section Sciences de la Vie 39: 63–70
Abdel Razek FA, Taha SM, Ameran AA (2006) Population biology of the edible crab Portunus
pelagicus (Linnaeus) from Bardawil Lagoon, Northern Sinai, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of
Aquatic Research 32(1): 401–418
Abdel Razek FA, Ismaiel M, Ameran MAA (2016) Occurrence of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus,
Rathbun, 1896, and its fisheries biology in Bardawil Lagoon, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 42: 223–229, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2016.04.005
Abdulrraziq AA, Abdulghani A, Ibrahim SM, Zava B, Deidun A (2021) First record of the
northern brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus Ives, 1891 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae) from
Libyan waters. BioInvasions Records 10: 287–294, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2021.10.2.06
Al Mabruk SAA, Crocetta F (2021) Filling gaps: the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda
(Forskål, 1775) in Libya. In: New alien Mediterranean biodiversity records (December
2021). Mediterranean Marine Science 22(3) (in press), https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.26668
Al Mabruk SAA, Zava B, Abdulghani A, Corsini-Foka M, Deidun A (2021) The first record of
the Pharaoh cardinal fish Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Actinopterygii: Perciformes:
Apogonidae) from Libyan waters. Acta Icthyologica et Piscatoria 51: 113–118, https://doi.org/
10.3897/aiep.51.63504
Annabi A, Bardelli R, Vizzini S, Mancinelli G (2018) Baseline assessment of heavy metals
content and trophic position of the invasive blue swimming crab Portunus segnis (Forskål,
1775) in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia). Marine Pollution Bulletin 136: 454–463,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.037
Badalamenti F, Ben Amer I, Dupuy De La Grandrive R, Foulquie M, Milazzo M, Sghaier YR,
Gomei M, Limam A (2011) Scientific field survey report for the development of Marine
Protected Areas in Libya. MEDPAN South Project Technical Series, 31 pp
Baumart JS, Dalosto MM, Gonçalves AS, Palaoro AV, Santos S (2015) How to deal with a bad
neighbor? Strategies of sympatric freshwater decapods (Crustacea) for coexistence.
Hydrobiologia 762: 29–39, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2331-0
Ben Abdallah-Ben Hadj Hamida O, Ben Hadj Hamida N, Bdioui M, Missaoui H (2019a)
Prolifération du crabe bleu nageur Portunus segnis le long du littoral Tunisien. Troisième
Conférence Méditerranéenne de la Biodiversité 2019. Hammamet, Tunisie, 1-3 Novembre
2019. Book of Abstracts, p 8, https://ascob.net/files/abstract_book_biodiv2019_finale.pdf
Ben Abdallah-Ben Hadj Hamida O, Ben Abdallah O, Ben Hadj Hamida N, Bdioui M, Ben
Jarray F (2019b) Premièrs resultats de l’evaluation du stock du crabe bleu Portunus segnis
Corsini-Foka et al. (2021), BioInvasions Records 10(4): 885–893, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2021.10.4.13
891
two species are easily confused by fishermen as a result of their morphological
similarities, makes it contingent to conduct a future comprehensive scientific
survey along the same coastline in order to evaluate if the above two
invaders eventually share the same habitats (Mili et al. 2020).
Considering the great ability of these species to spread, their high
fecundity rate and aggressivity towards local species and physical damage
to fishing gears, specific surveillance, monitoring and participatory mapping
activities will be needed to evaluate the potential impact of these NIS on
the environment and on local Libyan fisheries. These strategies could be
useful in identifying fishery management measures and profitable market
niches to make new resources commercially exploitable, as is currently the
case in Tunisia, as a viable mitigation measure.
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to Hamdi Al Mozini for providing information on Callinectes sapidus
findings and the specimen studied. They also thank Mohamed Aljididi, Ryiad Jarafah, Ahmed
Al-Mahmodi, Mahmoud Basha, Hassan Al Moiaoe and Samir Al Madhoine for providing
photos and information on Portunus segnis. Authors are also indebted to two anonymous
reviewers for providing helpful suggestions that allowed us to improve greatly the first version
of the manuscript.
References
Abdalhamid AHA, Mohamed Ali S, Ali RAS, Elawad AN, Buzaid EMK (2017) Food and
feeding habits of the European eel Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) in Umm Hufayan
Lagoon, eastern Libya Mediterranean coast. Bulletin de l’Institut Scientifique, Rabat,
Section Sciences de la Vie 39: 63–70
Abdel Razek FA, Taha SM, Ameran AA (2006) Population biology of the edible crab Portunus
pelagicus (Linnaeus) from Bardawil Lagoon, Northern Sinai, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of
Aquatic Research 32(1): 401–418
Abdel Razek FA, Ismaiel M, Ameran MAA (2016) Occurrence of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus,
Rathbun, 1896, and its fisheries biology in Bardawil Lagoon, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 42: 223–229, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejar.2016.04.005
Abdulrraziq AA, Abdulghani A, Ibrahim SM, Zava B, Deidun A (2021) First record of the
northern brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus Ives, 1891 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae) from
Libyan waters. BioInvasions Records 10: 287–294, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2021.10.2.06
Al Mabruk SAA, Crocetta F (2021) Filling gaps: the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda
(Forskål, 1775) in Libya. In: New alien Mediterranean biodiversity records (December
2021). Mediterranean Marine Science 22(3) (in press), https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.26668
Al Mabruk SAA, Zava B, Abdulghani A, Corsini-Foka M, Deidun A (2021) The first record of
the Pharaoh cardinal fish Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Actinopterygii: Perciformes:
Apogonidae) from Libyan waters. Acta Icthyologica et Piscatoria 51: 113–118, https://doi.org/
10.3897/aiep.51.63504
Annabi A, Bardelli R, Vizzini S, Mancinelli G (2018) Baseline assessment of heavy metals
content and trophic position of the invasive blue swimming crab Portunus segnis (Forskål,
1775) in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia). Marine Pollution Bulletin 136: 454–463,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.037
Badalamenti F, Ben Amer I, Dupuy De La Grandrive R, Foulquie M, Milazzo M, Sghaier YR,
Gomei M, Limam A (2011) Scientific field survey report for the development of Marine
Protected Areas in Libya. MEDPAN South Project Technical Series, 31 pp
Baumart JS, Dalosto MM, Gonçalves AS, Palaoro AV, Santos S (2015) How to deal with a bad
neighbor? Strategies of sympatric freshwater decapods (Crustacea) for coexistence.
Hydrobiologia 762: 29–39, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2331-0
Ben Abdallah-Ben Hadj Hamida O, Ben Hadj Hamida N, Bdioui M, Missaoui H (2019a)
Prolifération du crabe bleu nageur Portunus segnis le long du littoral Tunisien. Troisième
Conférence Méditerranéenne de la Biodiversité 2019. Hammamet, Tunisie, 1-3 Novembre
2019. Book of Abstracts, p 8, https://ascob.net/files/abstract_book_biodiv2019_finale.pdf
Ben Abdallah-Ben Hadj Hamida O, Ben Abdallah O, Ben Hadj Hamida N, Bdioui M, Ben
Jarray F (2019b) Premièrs resultats de l’evaluation du stock du crabe bleu Portunus segnis