Assessing Decadal Comparison in Biomass and Biological Responses of the High-Impact Invasive Swimming Crab Charybdis Longicollis in the Eastern Mediterranean
Thalassas, cilt.42, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 42 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s41208-026-01161-w
- Dergi Adı: Thalassas
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Zoological Record, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Biological invasions, Biotic regulation, Levantine Sea, Parasitism, Population structure, Reproductive biology
- Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
We assessed decadal comparison in population structure, biomass, and parasitism of the invasive swimming crab Charybdis longicollis using two standardized trawl surveys conducted about ten years apart in Antalya Bay (eastern Mediterranean). In total, 22,221 individuals were analyzed. Female carapace width (CW) shifted significantly between surveys, with the later survey including a broader range of smaller size classes, whereas male size structure remained stable. Mean biomass declined by ~ 38% (274.1 to 168.7 kg km⁻²), while seasonal dynamics persisted, with peaks in autumn. Parasitism by the rhizocephalan Heterosaccus dollfusi showed strong sex- and size-dependent patterns: prevalence increased with CW in females (reaching 100% in the largest classes) but was highest in small males and declined with size. Overall prevalence decreased from 26.2% to 14.2% over the decade, driven mainly by reduced infection in males, and the male size–prevalence relationship weakened in the second survey. Environmental variables from Copernicus Marine (CMEMS) products showed pronounced seasonal variability but no clear decadal shift; multivariate models highlighted bottom nitrate, phosphate, and oxygen as the strongest correlates of prevalence, likely reflecting indirect seasonal associations. Reproduction occurred year-round, with spring peaks in ovigerous females and a stable size at first maturity (CW₅₀ ≈ 27 mm). These results indicate demographic resilience of C. longicollis despite declining biomass, and suggest that long-term host–parasite dynamics are shaped primarily by size structure and biotic processes rather than by decadal environmental change.