Sexual Maturity of an Endemic Insular Land Crab: Priority Information toward the Conservation of .

AbstractInsular land crabs (Gecarcinidae) can transit between terrestrial and aquatic environments and inhabit vacant ecological niches that other species do not occupy in oceanic islands. During the reproductive period, these crabs migrate between residential and reproductive areas; this is a critical moment because individuals are more vulnerable to stressful conditions, especially species occupying anthropized islands. Currently, many insular crab species are considered threatened; yet few studies have evaluated the biology of this group, especially the size at which individuals reach sexual maturity.