The Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) has rapidly expanded across the Mediterranean Sea, forming self-sustaining populations in coastal and transitional ecosystems. Its ecological plasticity, high reproductive potential, and tolerance to wide salinity and temperature ranges have enabled a rapid basin-wide colonization, particularly evident in Italian lagoons and estuaries. This invasion has generated substantial ecological alterations, such as predation on bivalves, competition with native decapods, and disruptions of trophic dynamics, as well as significant economic losses for fisheries and aquaculture sectors, especially in northern Adriatic clam-farming areas. Social perceptions vary widely, and management actions remain fragmented, limiting the effectiveness of control and mitigation efforts. This review analyzes the scientific and gray literature published from its first Mediterranean records to 2025, synthesizing evidence on the species’ distribution, ecological impacts, socio-economic consequences, and existing regulatory responses, with a focus on the Mediterranean basin and Italy. Studies on consumers’ and fishers’ perceptions are examined to identify emerging opportunities for sustainable utilization. By integrating ecological and socio-economic dimensions, the review outlines priority knowledge gaps and management needs, providing a science-based framework to support coordinated monitoring, adaptive control strategies, and potential valorization pathways consistent with the EU Green Deal, the Blue Economy, and Circular Bioeconomy principles.
Ceca et al. (Thu,) studied this question.