Decapoda - Brachyura - Portunidae - Portunus

Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)


World Distribution
Philippines, New Caledonia, ?French Polynesia (perhaps Portunus armatus instead in French Polynesia). Mediterranean
See Lai et al. (2010, Revision of the Portunus pelagicus species complex). Records of “Portunus pelagicus” from Hawaii and Tahiti are considered highly doubtful

Environnement : Marine - Substrat/Association : Soft bottom (mud or sand)

Vertical range : Shallow-waters (0-100 m) - Min-Max observed: 0-37 m

New Caledonia data
Guinot et al., 2013: 293 - Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) sensu lato, male 29.0 × 61.0 mm, female 60.0 × 134.0 mm, New Caledonia (MNHN-B12457)

Nouvelle Caledonie, CH1 — Moosa MK.
Nouvelle Caledonie, CP2 — Moosa MK.
Nouvelle Caledonie, STATION — Edwards AM, Nouv Arch MNHN 8: 229-267
Lagon 12 Nouvelle Caledonie, DW1060 — Moosa MK.
Lagon 12 Nouvelle Caledonie, DW1061 — Moosa MK.

Central Pacific data (Wallis & Futuna, Polynesia, Clipperton, Easter Island)
FRENCH POLYNESIA - Neptunus pelagicus - Heller, 1865: 27 (Tahiti). - Portunus pelagicus - Forest & Guinot, 1962: 58 (Biogeography "Tahiti-Tuamotu"). - Stephenson, 1972: 41 (Distribution only, Tahiti). - Portunus (Portunus) pelagicus - Guinot, 1985: 449 (List). - Poupin, 1996a: 32, 77 (Checklist). - Remark: this species has often been reported from Tahiti (Boone, 1934; Stephenson & Campbell, 1959; Crosnier, 1962; Stephenson & Rees, 1967; Stephenson, 1972; Sakai, 1976; Dai & Yang, 1991) but it seems that the specimens examined from that locality are only those of Heller (1865). In June 2007, this material has been verified and photographed in Wien collection by P. Dworschak: 2 specimens from Tahiti (NHMW 2860). Joelle Lai, National University of Singapore, considered that the species is " either absent - in Tahiti - (possible misrepresentation of labels) or extremely rare since Hawaii and Tahiti probably represent the easternmost limit of its distribution in the Pacific ocean" (personal communication in June 2007, publication in Lai et al., 2010, The Raffles Bulletin ). Morphologically P. pelagicus is close to P. sanguinolentus. In P. sanguinolentus there are three red spots on postero-dorsal surface of the carapace; these spots are absent in P. pelagicus.

Other data
Musorstom 1 Philippines, CP1 — Moosa MK, Musorstom 1, 1: 142-150
Musorstom 1 Philippines, CP1 — Moosa MK, Musorstom 1, 1: 142-150

Comment(s) on data
Portunus pelagicus - Photo transmitted (November 2020) by H. Zibrowius, Lebanon, Batroun, photo HZ 28.10.1999 (scan diapo).,

References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)

This species in Worms Database