<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Several species new to the area were collected while monitoring Dutch marine waters using a dredge. The varunid crab <italic>Asthenognathus atlanticus</italic> <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_oandhs-2021-0030_ref_020">Monod, 1933</xref> was recorded for the first time in the North Sea. Until 2008, this relatively rare crab was known from the west coast of Africa and the western Mediterranean to northern Brittany in the north. In recent years, its distribution range has expanded, as indicated by records from the Bay of the Seine and the area around Dieppe-Le Tréport. Our finding from Brown Bank (southern North Sea) indicates a further, northward expansion of its distribution range. We list the hosts with which the crab is associated. Earlier arguments for climate change as an explanation for the northward range expansion are supported.</p>
</abstract>

Several species new to the area were collected while monitoring Dutch marine waters using a dredge. The varunid crab Asthenognathus atlanticus Monod, 1933 was recorded for the first time in the North Sea. Until 2008, this relatively rare crab was known from the west coast of Africa and the western Mediterranean to northern Brittany in the north. In recent years, its distribution range has expanded, as indicated by records from the Bay of the Seine and the area around Dieppe-Le Tréport. Our finding from Brown Bank (southern North Sea) indicates a further, northward expansion of its distribution range. We list the hosts with which the crab is associated. Earlier arguments for climate change as an explanation for the northward range expansion are supported.

First record of the rare crab <italic>Asthenognathus atlanticus</italic> <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_oandhs-2021-0030_ref_020">Monod, 1933</xref> (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) in the North Sea

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

First record of the rare crab   (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) in the North Sea

Several species new to the area were collected while monitoring Dutch marine waters using a dredge. The varunid crab Asthenognathus atlanticus Monod, 1933 was...

First record of the rare crab Asthenognathus atlanticus Monod, 1933 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) in the North Sea

Article Category: Short communication

Published Online: Sep 02, 2021

Page range: 352 - 358

Received: Dec 07, 2020

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0030

Keywords
range expansion, climate change, new record, commensalism

© 2021 Marco Faasse et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

First record of the rare crab Asthenognathus atlanticus Monod, 1933 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) in the North Sea

Article Category: Short communication

Published Online: Sep 02, 2021

Page range: 352 - 358

Received: Dec 07, 2020

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0030

Keywordsrange expansion, climate change, new record, commensalism

© 2021 Marco Faasse et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
range expansion, climate change, new record, commensalism