This study analyzed physiological sexual maturity of Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803) in the Paripe Estuary, Pernambuco State, Brazil. Crabs were sampled monthly from August 1999 to July 2000, with a specific fishing gear, with one hour effort per sampling period. After sampling, all individuals were sexed; the carapace width (CW) was measured and organism it was dissected to observe the macroscopic gonad development. A total of 664 specimens were sampled (324 males, 228 females without eggs and 112 ovigerous) with predominance of sexually mature individuals for both sexes. The male's size (CW 50%) was 31.64mm and female's one was 28mm. The smallest ovigerous female found had a 30.5mm. For G. cruentata it was observed a synchronicity at the beginning of the sexual maturity for both sexes. This fact is usually observed among Brachyura, mainly the Grapsidae.
Reproduction; synchronicity sexual
