Japanese spider crab

Macrocheira kaempferi

Size: 1.5–3.8 m · 10–19 kg
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Diurnal
Sociality: Solitary
Lifespan: 1-5 years

The Japanese spider crab is one of the world's largest crabs, living in Pacific and Palearctic waters. It is a solitary omnivore that walks on long legs across the seafloor.

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Key facts

Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is an omnivore animal classified as Invertebrate · Decapoda · Macrocheiridae.
Primary habitats are open ocean, with a range across Pacific Ocean · Palearctic.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
The Japanese spider crab is one of the world's largest crabs, living in Pacific and Palearctic waters.
It uses deeper seafloors of the northwest Pacific, including waters around Japan.
Typical lifespan: 1-5 years

Sources

wikidata.org

Range

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It uses deeper seafloors of the northwest Pacific, including waters around Japan. Sandy-muddy bottoms and nearby rocky cover are typical.

Appearance

Leg span is about 150-380 cm, with weight about 10-19 kg. A relatively small body carries extremely long legs, often orange with pale markings.

Behavior

It is solitary and treated here as diurnal. It moves slowly along the bottom, and is especially vulnerable after molting until the shell hardens.

Feeding

It is omnivorous, taking animal matter, shellfish, and carrion from the seafloor. Its long legs help it search over a broad area.

Reproduction

Females carry fertilized eggs under the abdomen. Larvae hatch into the water column, then develop through molts before settling to bottom life.

Notes

Its conservation status is LC. Despite its spectacular size, it is a quiet inhabitant of deeper coastal seafloors.