Abstract

CAMPOS-C., Néstor Hernando; CARDONA-A., Luisa Francisca  and  VALENCIA-OSPINA, Felipe. The blue crab in the Colombian Caribbean, a comparative study. Bol. cienc. tierra [online]. 2022, n.51, pp.73-84.  Epub Feb 28, 2023. ISSN 0120-3630.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rbct.n51.101625.

The blue land crab Cardisoma guanhumi is a species of commercial interest and is being harvested for human consumption. It is distributed throughout the Caribbean from the Antilles to the southern part in Venezuela and Colombia, with also records in Brazil. The first studies of this crab in Colombia date back to the early 1970s, which focused on biological and ecological aspects. Population studies in the Colombian Caribbean started in 2000, but they are scarce, and some are not published. For San Andrés Island, the Gulf of Urabá, and the Magdalena department, two studies have been done for each one, and for the three studies one is published, and the other is not. Of the unpublished studies, two correspond to graduate studies (Urabá and Magdalena) and one to a technical report (San Andrés). For the Guajira department, there is a published article that mentions some aspects of this crab population. For the department of Atlántico, there is a technical report. Regarding the department of Córdoba, there are two theses. The departments of Bolivar and Antioquia have three studies each. Most of these studies contain information about the sizes and weights of the blue land crab, and some of them also have information on the population density via burrow count. The largest average sizes and weights have been recorded on the island of San Andrés. The highest average population densities have been recorded for Bahía Concha in the department of Magdalena and the lowest for the department of Bolívar in the Corregimiento La Boquilla.

Keywords : blue land crab; colombian caribbean; population studies; Cardisoma guanhuimi.

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