Australian Blue Swimmer Crab

[kellsbells]

Hello fellow crabbers,
I also belong to a crab group on Facebook, and recently someone posted a picture of an Australian blue swimmer crab caught in our local waters. Actually, he said he caught 20+ of them. Is this something to be worried about? Should Fish & Wildlife be notified? Or is it warm waters bring visitors and once it gets cold they'll go back to where they came from? There's a bit of a disagreement on how to handle the situation. I personally believe there's no harm in letting Fish and Wildlife know. Has anyone else caught these guys this summer or ever before? Any insight would be appreciated!

Thanks

[gcs]

I've caught small blue swimmer crabs for years here in Ny, not a lot but  some every year. I'm pretty sure the spawn comes up in gulf stream eddy's, I also catch southern and tropical species like groupers, butterfly angels, and mangrove snapper, even an occasional lionfish. A few years ago we had a bunch of octopus. You see that stuff at the end of summer when they grow big enough to catch in an eel pot. Some years are better then others, and the species may change but there's alway some exotics that show up.

[Hawkeye]

Hello fellow crabbers,
I also belong to a crab group on Facebook, and recently someone posted a picture of an Australian blue swimmer crab caught in our local waters. Actually, he said he caught 20+ of them. Is this something to be worried about? Should Fish & Wildlife be notified? Or is it warm waters bring visitors and once it gets cold they'll go back to where they came from? There's a bit of a disagreement on how to handle the situation. I personally believe there's no harm in letting Fish and Wildlife know. Has anyone else caught these guys this summer or ever before? Any insight would be appreciated!

Thanks

I'm sorry but there is no way this is true unless you show a photo of said specimen literally being pulled from the water.  20 plus just sounds like total horse manure.  

When you say "local" waters - where specifically was this?  

I've caught small blue swimmer crabs for years here in Ny, not a lot but  some every year. I'm pretty sure the spawn comes up in gulf stream eddy's, I also catch southern and tropical species like groupers, butterfly angels, and mangrove snapper, even an occasional lionfish.

gcs - the fish you named are all from the atlantic (except the invasive lionfish).  kellsbells is claiming an australian crab (Portunus pelagicus) somehow made it's way the eastern shores of the USA.  I am very skeptical.  

[gcs]

Yes, it's essentially impossible, but there is a southern blue swimmer species on our side of the world, thats what they're seeing. All the blue swimmers look pretty much alike, very long claws and legs, the ones I've seen are relatively small, under 4 inches, I guess they don't survive our winters.

If I recollect properly, the Asian, Aus, species is where our imported crab meat comes from, ie, Vietnam, etc.

Edit. Just did a search for swimmer crabs of the Atlantic and apparently there are none,    I don't remember where I thought I saw this...so I don't know what the heck I've caught, but it has the same coloration of a regular blue claw, but paler, and more slender, and with the long spindly claws of a blue swimmer crab.
It's not a regular Blue claw. 

[scoopnet]

Google- Calico crab,nj

[kellsbells]

They said they caught them in Beach Haven

[Steve]

That sure looks like a non-native species.

[Wallco99]

That sure looks like a non-native species.

Like anyone really knows whats down there? Even though everyone likes to pretend they do.

[gcs]

Caught a few more of these mystery crabs, so I finally sent some pictures and a specimen to our State crustacean, "expert",  They were interested as it gives them something to do....

Will inform on what they discover

[Hawkeye]

That sure looks like a non-native species.

 Yes but it's on a white plate.  The pic does not prove anything was in NJ, the eastern seaboard, or the USA for that matter.  So for all we know, the pic was taken in Sydney which would  make it a local native species.  

  

Caught a few more of these mystery crabs, so I finally sent some pictures and a specimen to our State crustacean, "expert",  They were interested as it gives them something to do....

Will inform on what they discover

Where were they caught? 

[BlueTip4Me]

Picture states it was caught at "Beach Haven". 

[gcs]

Lol, I said I caught it, my location is on record, white plate non withstanding.

My crustacean people picked up the specimen and identified the crab as a Iridescent swimming crab, Portunus gibbesii, yes it kind of looks like the Australian blue swimmer crab, but this is a native species, most prevalent in the gulf and points south, though the actual range is the eastern seaboard up to southern Mass.

So there ya go...