Decapod Crustacea of the Adriatic Sea: their role, exploitation, protection and advances

Abstract

        Decapod Crustacea, because of their abundance and diversity, have a very important role in the circulation of organic matter in the sea as well as in sedimentary processes. Since the species composition is various in different seas we shall focus here our attention on Adriatic Decapods. Moreover, their importance as human food is considerable, although still more edible species exist, mainly of smaller size, which are not used as food, but are neglected and rejected as unedible by-catch. On the other hand, stocks of some well-known commercial species are rather devastated by over-fishing so that some species such as lobster, spiny lobster and Norway lobster should be put under legislative protection. It is noteworthy that some inshore and coastal species can be very important in the cases of surviving in emergencies (war, shipwreck). In future it would be necessary to increase the number of some species by artificial rearing of larvae and young specimens, and to attempt to rear some species for mariculture too.