Puerto Rican sand crab
Encyclopedia
The Puerto Rican sand crab, Emerita portoricensis, is a species of "sand crab" belonging to the genus Emerita
, which is native to the main island of Puerto Rico
and its archipelago
. The most detailed study conducted on the species was conducted by Sastre between 1988 and 1992. This investigation determined that the species has diotic traits and that there are size and survival differences between sexes. Both sexes reach sexual maturity three months after birth. At this age females are 7 mm (¼ in) in length; their maximum shell size is 19 mm (¾ in). The growing rate is slower in male specimens these being only 5 mm ( in) in length when they reach sexual maturity with a maximum shell size of 11 mm (½ in). In terms of reproductive aspects, females fecundity
increases with their size, the males reproductive contribution decreases as they grow older.
Emerita (genus)
Emerita is a small genus of decapod crustaceans, known as mole crabs. These are small animals that burrow in the sand in the wash zone and use their antennae for filter feeding.-Description:...
, which is native to the main island of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and its archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
. The most detailed study conducted on the species was conducted by Sastre between 1988 and 1992. This investigation determined that the species has diotic traits and that there are size and survival differences between sexes. Both sexes reach sexual maturity three months after birth. At this age females are 7 mm (¼ in) in length; their maximum shell size is 19 mm (¾ in). The growing rate is slower in male specimens these being only 5 mm ( in) in length when they reach sexual maturity with a maximum shell size of 11 mm (½ in). In terms of reproductive aspects, females fecundity
Fecundity
Fecundity, derived from the word fecund, generally refers to the ability to reproduce. In demography, fecundity is the potential reproductive capacity of an individual or population. In biology, the definition is more equivalent to fertility, or the actual reproductive rate of an organism or...
increases with their size, the males reproductive contribution decreases as they grow older.