An updated dataset of the global occurrence of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Brachyura: Portunidae)

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is a portunid native to the western Atlantic, from New England to Uruguay. The species was introduced in Europe in 1901 and in recent years it has become invasive; additionally, a significant northward expansion has been emphasized also in its native range. Here we present a harmonized global compilation of occurrences of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus from native and non-native distribution ranges. Data are derived from online databases (GBIF, BISON, OBIS, and iNaturalist) as well as from peer-reviewed literature and unpublished sources gathered from personal communications and from available-on-request databases either directly maintained by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR; https://www.hcmr.gr), or connected with the HCMR, such as the Ellenic Network on Aquatic Invasive Species (ELNAIS; https://elnais.hcmr.gr). The dataset consists of 25,930 geo-referenced occurrences, 25,319 from native and 611 from non-native ranges, recorded in 54 countries. A technical validation procedure based on dichotomous keys was used to flag in-land records and those located at a distance < 2Km from the coastline. Similarly, a flagging system identified occurrences outside the known distribution of the species, or associated with unsuccessful introductions. The dataset is complemented by a complete list of literature sources, including permanent identifiers (bibliographic Citation DOI) if available, and a list of notes related with outliers and unsuccessful intentional introductions outside the native range. Notes are numbered according to the flags included in the dataset.