Malacostraca | 
Decapoda | 
Portunidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthopelagic; brackish; depth range 1 - 421 m (Ref. 105052).  Tropical; 35°N -   31°S, 82°W -   14°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Atlantic Ocean:  from southeastern Florida to Brazil rarely in Bermuda and North Carolina, also in the Cape Verde Islands and along the African coast from Mauritania to Angola.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 10.0 cm CW male/unsexed; (Ref. 417)			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					In shallow littoral environments, typically from intertidal pools to 3 m (Ref. 105199).  Inhabits shallow salt water on sandy or sandy mud bottom (Ref. 435) in brackish waters of estuaries (Ref. 417).  Also found on algae and grass flats, sandy beaches, rocky pools, eroded coral bases (Ref. 105199), coral reef (Ref. 121879), oyster bars (Ref. 105199), and edge of mangroves (Refs. 105199, 121880).  Rarely found in the open sea, from the intertidal to depth of 25 m (Ref. 121880).  Associated with the barnacle Chelonibia sp. (Ref. 105200).  In general, portunids are opportunistic omnivores with preference for animal prey (Ref. 100840).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Members of the order Decapoda are mostly gonochoric.  Mating behavior:  Precopulatory courtship ritual is common (through olfactory and tactile cues); usually indirect sperm transfer.  				
			
			
			
			
			
				Fischer, W., G. Bianchi and W.B. Scott (eds.) 1981 True Crabs. 6: pag.var. In FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic (fishing areas 34, 47; in part). Canada Funds-in-Trust. Ottawa, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, by arrangement with the Food and AgriculturesOrganization of the United Nations, 1-7: pag.var. (Ref. 435)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				 | FishSource | 			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
  Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 14.1 - 24.4, mean 17.5 (based on 89 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Low vulnerability (10 of 100).