Marcio C A João, Rafael C Duarte, Letícia S Bispo da Silva, Andrea S Freire, Marcelo A A Pinheiro
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引用次数: 2
Abstract
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. Here, we evaluate the size at the onset of morphological, physiological, and functional maturity for the insular land crab Johngarthia lagostoma in Trindade Island (Brazil) and assess the chronology of the events underlying those processes. Males and females exhibited the same order of occurrence of the different maturity processes, starting by being morphologically, physiologically, and, finally, functionally mature at similar sizes (about 56 mm carapace width). This value corresponds to at least half of the maximum size that J. lagostoma reaches in Trindade Island and is close to the average relative value registered to other Gecarcinidae species. Considering the current decline in the population of insular crabs, such estimates can be used in management programs, mainly for the definition and protection of breeding and recruitment areas. Specifically, our results can be used toward the conservation of J. lagostoma, which is currently classified as endangered in Brazil, especially in the isolated population of Trindade Island.
期刊介绍:
The Biological Bulletin disseminates novel scientific results in broadly related fields of biology in keeping with more than 100 years of a tradition of excellence. The Bulletin publishes outstanding original research with an overarching goal of explaining how organisms develop, function, and evolve in their natural environments. To that end, the journal publishes papers in the fields of Neurobiology and Behavior, Physiology and Biomechanics, Ecology and Evolution, Development and Reproduction, Cell Biology, Symbiosis and Systematics. The Bulletin emphasizes basic research on marine model systems but includes articles of an interdisciplinary nature when appropriate.