The occurrence of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) in the eastern Adriatic (Croatian coast)

On 15 October 2004, four specimens of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus were caught near Ston (Peljesac peninsula, south-eastern Adriatic) in a hypersaline lagoon (salt pond) at a depth of 0.50 m. An other specimen was caught in the Neretva River estuary on 1 October 2004 at a depth of 7 m, and a second one at the same location on 6 December 2006 at a depth of 5 m. The records from this study constitute the first report of this species from the eastern Adriatic coast and confirm the spreading of C sapidus throughout the Adriatic Sea. The present records of the blue crab in the eastern Adriatic, however, do not allow any reliable comments to be made regarding whether or not the species has established a population in the area. In any event, the impact of a possibly successful colonization of this region by this and other exotic species would, at least, represent a significant change in the composition of the native fauna.