Evaluation of the swimming crab (Callinectes toxotes Ordway, 1863) as an alternative resource to traditional fishing in the Colombian Pacific

Abstract

Swimming crabs of the genus Callinectes (Portunidae) inhabit coastal areas in tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, where they represent an important fishery resource and an alternative to fishing. In this study, the biology of the swimming crab (Callinectes toxotes) was evaluated as well as its fishery potential for the town of Pizarro, Colombian Pacific. Samples were collected monthly from December 2021 to October 2022, using 30 crab traps (“chayos”) and two-ring crab traps, distributed along six stations on the banks of the Baudó River. Records of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were also taken. Biological-fisheries analyses followed the ELEFAN I routine, estimating K and L∞ to assess natural mortality (M), fishing mortality (F), and exploitation rate (E). A total of 572 specimens (344 males and 228 females) were captured, of which approximately 70 % were immature. The L50 of males and females was estimated at 108.4 mm and 108.5 mm width at the base of the lateral spines, respectively; sexual proportion was significantly different from 1:1, with more males than females. This is the first study to be undertaken in the Pacific Chocó region of Colombia and the first to establish a concise and reproducible method that can be compared with other studies worldwide. Moreover, this study establishes a baseline to explore the swimming crab fishery resource in the area and provides a starting point to undertake similar studies in the Colombian Pacific.