The red crab, Pleuroncodes planipes, is a decapod crustacean abundant off the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula. This species is caught and used in preparing animal feed, such as flour, particularly for aquaculture. Levels of calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) were measured in red crabs collected from three geographic zones during three cruises in different seasons. Significant differences were found in the levels of Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, P, and Zn between the two El Niño years (cruises C1 and C3, based on a threshold of ±0.5 °C for the Oceanic Niño Index). The highest concentrations of most elements were observed in the south of the Baja California Peninsula, a highly productive area influenced by upwelling events. Our findings suggest that while environmental temperature plays a central role in the benthic or pelagic distribution of red crabs, their content and variability of trace and macro elements appear to be associated with the presence of oceanic conditions, such as upwelling and potential changes in the composition of their diet associated with the depth in which these crustaceans are collected.
Keywords: El Niño Southern Oscillation; crustacean; health risk; marine economic resource; marine pollution.