Toward identifying sex pheromones in blue crabs: using biomarker targeting within the context of evolutionary chemical ecology.

Experimental approaches to identify sex pheromones of blue crabs are outlined. I describe how consideration of the ecological context of mating behavior can lead to the development of more reliable bioassays. I also describe chemical analyses that demonstrate differences in the chemical composition of urines from animals of different sex and maturity, which indicates the promise of using biomarker targeting in identifying sex pheromones.