FIRST RECORD OF THE MOON CRAB ASHTORET LUNARIS (FORSKÅL 1775) FROM TURKISH WATERS

First record of the moon crab Ashtoret lunaris (Forskål 1775) from Turkish waters

Cemal Turan, Ali Uyan, Deniz Ergüden, Mevlüt Gürlek, Servet A. Dogdu, Necdet Uygur

Marine Sciences and Technology Faculty, Iskenderun Technical University, TR31220 Iskenderun, Hatay, TURKEY
Maritime Vocational School, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, TURKEY

Abstract

The first record of the moon crab Ashtoret lunaris (Forskål 1775) is reported for the Turkish waters. Four specimens of A. lunaris were captured in Iskenderun Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey at depth about 17m by gill net on 18 August 2015. The moon crab is the first non-native crab from the family Matutidae established in the Turkish coast.

Keywords: Moon crab, Ashtoret lunaris, first record, Turkish waters, lessepsian migrant

References

Chhapgar, B.F. (1957) On the marine crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) of Bombay State. J. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. 54: 399-439.

Davie, P. (2014a) Matutidae De Haan, 1835 [Online]. Available at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p¼taxdetails&id¼106759 (Accessed 23 June 2014).

Davie, P. (2014b) Thalamita Latreille, 1892. World Register of Marine Species, 2014. Available at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id= 106931 (Accessed 23 Jun 2014).

De Grave, S., Pentcheff, N.D., Ahyong, S.T. (2009) A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod Crustaceans. Raff. Bull. Zool. 21: 1-109.

Galil, B.S. (2007) Loss or gain? Invasive aliens and biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 55(7–9): 314-322.

Galil, B.S. (2011) The alien crustaceans in the Mediterranean: an historical overview. In: The Wrong Place – Alien Marine Crustaceans: Distribution, Biology and Impacts (eds., B.S. Galil, P.F. Clark, J.T. Carlton). Springer Series in Invasion Ecology, 6. Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp. 377-401.

Galil, B.S. (2012) Truth and consequences: the bioinvasion of the Mediterranean Sea. Integr. Zool. 7: 299-311.

Galil, B.S., Clark, P.F. (1994) A revision of the genus Matuta Weber, 1795 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Calappidae). Zool. Verh. Leiden 294: 1-55.

Galil, B.S., Golani, D. (1990) Two new migrant decapods from the eastern Mediterranean. Crustaceana 58(3): 229-236.

Galil, B.S., Mendelson, M. (2013) A record of the moon crab Matuta victor (Fabricius, 1781) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Matutidae) from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. BioInvasions Rec. 2: 69-71.

Galil, B.S., Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A., Gollasch, S. (2008) Biodiversity impacts of species introductions via marine vessels. In: Maritime traffic effects on biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea: Review of impacts, priority areas and mitigation measures, (eds., A. Abdulla, O. Linden). IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga, Spain, pp. 117-158.

Guinot, D. (1966) Les crabes comestibles de 1’Indo-Pacifique, Editions del la Foundation Singer-Polignac, Paris.

Mater, S., Toğulga, M., Kaya, M. (1995) Distribution and economic importance of lessepsian fish species in the sea in Turkey. II. National Ecology and Environment Congress, Association of Biologists, Ankara, pp. 453-462. (in Turkish)

Ng, P.K.L., Guinot, D., Davie, P. (2008) Systema Brachyurorum: Part 1. An annotated checklist of extant brachyuran crabs of the world. Raff. Bull. Zool. 17: 1-286.

Perez, O.S. (1986) Studies on the biology of the Indo-Pacific sandy shore crab, Matuta lunaris Forska1 (Brachyura: Calappidae) M. Sc, thesis, James Cook University, Australia.

Özcan, T., Katağan, T., Ng, P.K.L. (2010) First record of Eurycarcinus integrifrons De Man 1879 (Decapoda, Pilumnidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. Crustaceana 83(4): 507-510.

Sankarankutty, C. (1962) On Decapoda Brachyura from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 3. Families: Calappidae, Leucosiidae, Parthenopldae. Maiidae and Gecarcinidae. J. Mar. Biol Ass. India 4: 151-164.

Turan, C., Yaglioglu, D. (2011) First record of the spiny blaasop Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan, 1908) (Tetraodontidae) from the Turkish coasts. Mediterr. Mar. Sci. 12(1): 247-256.

Vannini, M. (1976) Researches on the coast of Somalia. The shore and dune of Sar Uanle. 10. Sandy beach decapods. Monitore Zool. Ital. (Suppl.) 8: 255-286.

Yaglioglu, D., Turan, C., Ogreden, T. (2014) First record of blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Portunidae) from the Turkish Black Sea coast. J. Black Sea/Medit. Environ. 20: 13-17.