Cuata swimcrab is found in estuaries and coastal lagoons along the Pacific coast from California south to Peru, and even extends its range to Northern Chile in times of El Niño. In the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, a large population of this carnivorous portunid crab is found and a small-scale trap-fishery on this species is established. No information about stock structure in the region could be found but an assessment has been conducted by Fischer and Wolff (2006) for this crab in the Gulf of Nicoya.