Brachyuran diversity along Mediterranean Egypt, with the addition of a new introduced species

Abstract :

An annotated check list of brachyuran decapods along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast includes 62 species, 16 of which are introduced in the area. This work reports the presence of the Indo-Pacific xanthoid crab Halimede ochtodes (Herbst, 1783) in Egyptian Mediterranean waters. Although ship transfer in ballast waters is possible, Lessepsian migration (progressive unaided transfer via the Suez Canal) appears to be the most plausible vector of its introduction. Its potential impact on the Mediterranean shrimp aquaculture is discussed.