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Litter in alien species of possible commercial interest: The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) as case study
Summary
Researchers examined blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) from an Italian lagoon and detected plastic fragments and synthetic fibers including polyethylene and PET in stomach contents, with microplastic fibers such as nylon and polyester also found in female gonad tissue, suggesting this invasive species can serve as a pollution indicator.
Marine litter levels were measured in the stomach contents, hepatopancreas, and gonad tissues of crustacea decapod (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896; n = 6), a widespread alien species affecting the Lesina lagoon. Results highlight a mean of 2.5 (SD = 1.6) items/animal and indicate the presence of metals fragments (13%) and plastics (13% PE; 6.7% PET) in the stomach contents of collected individuals. No microplastic particles were detected in the hepatopancreas or in muscle tissue, while microplastic fibres (nylon, rayon, polyester) were found present in female specimen gonads. The presence of synthetic fibres in the investigated species reflects the relative contamination level in this habitat type and suggests that the blue crab could be considered a model organism for evaluating the contamination status of the study area.