A further record of the blue swimmer crab Portunus segnis Forskal, 1775 (Decapoda : Brachyura : Portunidae) from the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

The occurrence of the blue swimmer crab Portunus segnis, a Lessepsian species, within Maltese coastal waters is recorded for the second time. A single male was caught form the shore by means of rod fishing. The individual was caught from a depth of 3 m in close proximity to a busy cargo handling port. The first record of the species from Maltese waters was made in 1984. P. segnis represents yet another Lessepsian species which has established large populations in the Gulf of Gabes, within Tunisian waters to the south of Malta, but only occurs occasionally in Maltese waters.peer-reviewe