Review of range extensions of tropical brachyuran crabs into temperate waters of southern Africa

Abstract

Abstract We compiled known occurrence records of seven species of crabs identified in the literature and one documented in this report as having undergone range extensions in southern Africa. Of these eight species, six (Austruca occidentalis, Neosarmatium africanum, Ocypode ceratophthalmus, Portunus segnis, Tubuca urvillei, and Varuna litterata) have extended their ranges either across a major biogeographic boundary that separates the subtropical and warm temperate ecoregions of this coast, or into estuaries that historically lack mangrove forests. For the seventh and eighth species, Charybdis smithii and Scylla serrata, we were unable to find any distributional data that supported poleward range extension. In addition, we contribute the first record of the blue swimming crab, P. segnis, from the temperate south coast of South Africa. This early detection is likely to be part of an ongoing regional trend of tropical-adapted brachyuran crab species extending their ranges into temperate ecoregions.