About the Data
Species records include data on invasions history, distribution, ecology, impact, and more. These data were gathered from published literature and targeted surveys. All records have undergone expert review, unless otherwise noted.
Species Profiles
NEMESIS includes detailed information on about 500 species of marine and estuarine of invertebrates and algae introduced to the United States. Each record contains information on taxonomy, distribution, ecology, and impacts, as well as references.
Daily Invader
Petrolisthes armatus
The Green Porcelain Crab, Petrolisthes armatus, has a wide range that includes the tropical eastern Pacific from Mexico to Peru, the western Atlantic from North Carolina to southern Brazil, and the eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Angola. However, its native range is unknown. Introduced populations have been reported from the Atlantic coast of Florida, extending northwards to Cape Fear, North Carolina. As winters get warmer this species may be creeping northward, a phenomenon called Caribbean creep (see the January 2012 feature story for more on this). Since its spread along the southern US East Coast, it has reached very high abundance in Georgia and South Carolina, up to 20,000-30,000 crabs per m2. Reported ecological impacts include altering habitat characteristics and competing with native crabs. The crab inhabits intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats, such as soft sediment, rocky reef, oyster reef and mangroves.
Daily Invader for 2022-12-07