blunt-tooth swimming crab
Callinectes bocourti
Callinectes bocourti is a species of swimming crab. Its native range extends from Jamaica and Belize south to Brazil, but it has been found as a nonindigenous species as far north as North Carolina.
33
Countries
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callinectes_bocourti
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Malacostraca
Order
Decapoda
Family
Portunidae
Genus
Callinectes
blunt-tooth swimming crab belongs to the family Portunidae, order Decapoda, within the Malacostraca class.
Species Profile
Callinectes bocourti is a species of swimming crab. Its native range extends from Jamaica and Belize south to Brazil, but it has been found as a nonindigenous species as far north as North Carolina. This crab has a light brown shell with red spots and markings on it, and red claws and legs. C. bocourti is edible and has been the subject of small-scale fishery.
The blunt-tooth swimming crab faces significant pressure from coastal habitat degradation, particularly the destruction of mangrove ecosystems and estuarine environments essential for its life cycle. Overfishing and intensive harvesting for commercial and subsistence purposes have led to population declines across much of its range. Climate change impacts, including sea level rise and altered salinity patterns, further threaten the delicate coastal habitats this species depends upon.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries, mangrove swamps, and lagoons along tropical and subtropical coastlines of the western Atlantic. This species requires brackish to marine waters with muddy or sandy bottoms and relies heavily on mangrove root systems and seagrass beds for shelter and feeding.
Threats
Coastal habitat destruction and mangrove loss
Overfishing and commercial exploitation
Climate change and sea level rise
Coastal development and urbanization
Pollution and water quality degradation
Found in 33 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). blunt-tooth swimming crab (Callinectes bocourti). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/blunt-tooth-swimming-crab