Open AccessA mass recruitment event in the land crab Gecarcinus ruricola (Linnaeus, 1758) (Brachyura: Grapsoidea: Gecarcinidae), and a description of the megalop
Author(s) -
HARTNOLL RICHARD G.,
CLARK PAUL F.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
zoological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.148
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1096-3642
pISSN - 0024-4082
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00195.x
Subject(s) - biology , fishery , moulting , ecology , decapoda , zoology , larva , crustacean
A mass return to land of the megalop of the land crab Gecarcinus ruricola is reported. The return occurred in June 2004 on the island of Providencia in the western Caribbean: this is the first detailed report of larval return in this species, and the most detailed report for any gecarcinid. Crabs emerged from the sea as megalops over 2 to 3 days, and moved rapidly landwards. Vast numbers migrated > 50 m across land before moulting to the first crab – the megalop is clearly the invasive stage. The megalop is described for the first time, and criteria are identified to discriminate it from other Caribbean gecarcinids. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 146 , 149–164.