Rock Crabs Grapsus Grapsus and Box Calappa Convexa (Crustacea: Brachyura): Potential Fishery Resources

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for food resources of aquatic origen has increased considerably and this has allowed resorting to the exploration of alternative resources. Within these, some intertidal crustaceans such as the “rock crab” Grapsus grapsus and Calappa convexa “box crab” stand out due to their frequency and easy capture, which is frequently of the shrimp (Penaeus) by-catch and lobster (Panulirus) fishing. Both species of crabs, due to their sizes and abundance, represent an economic and nutritional interest for coastal fishermen in northwestern Mexico. At present, there is no fishing regulation on these resources and it is necessary and urgent to take regulatory measures of their population status of these crabs, which are constantly captured by fishermen but without biological or administrative control by te authorities responsable for their management fishing in this area.