The porcelain crab Porcellana africana Chace, 1956 (Decapoda: Porcellanidae) introduced into Saldanha Bay, South Africa
Griffiths, C.L.; Roberts, S.; Branch, G.M.; Eckel, K.; Schubart, C.D.; Lemaitre, R. (2018). The porcelain crab Porcellana africana Chace, 1956 (Decapoda: Porcellanidae) introduced into Saldanha Bay, South Africa. Bioinvasions Records 7(2): 133-142. https://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2018.7.2.04
In: Bioinvasions Records. Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC): Helsinki. ISSN 2242-1300; e-ISSN 2242-1300, more
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| Keywords |
Classification > Taxonomy
Topographic features > Landforms > Coastal landforms > Rocky shores
Anomura [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
invasive species; DNA analysis |
| Authors | | Top |
- Griffiths, C.L.
- Roberts, S.
- Branch, G.M.
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- Eckel, K.
- Schubart, C.D.
- Lemaitre, R.
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| Abstract |
The porcelain crab Porcellana africana Chace, 1956, a species native to NW Africa, between Western Sahara and Senegal, is reported from Saldanha Bay, South Africa, and both morphological evidence and DNA analysis are used to confirm its identity. The taxonomic history of P. africana is summarized, and the taxonomic implications of the DNA analysis are discussed. The observations that the South African population appeared suddenly and that it is located in and around a major international harbour, strongly suggest that it represents a recent shipping introduction. Porcellana africana was first detected at a single site within Saldanha Bay in 2012, but by 2016 was abundant under intertidal boulders and within beds of the invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis across most of the Bay. It remains absent along the adjacent oceanic coastline and in other regional harbours, but these should be monitored to detect any subsequent range expansion. |
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