Japanese spider crab
Macrocheira kaempferi
- Scientific name
- Macrocheira kaempferi
- Group
- Crustaceans
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Cold / polar waters
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The Japanese spider crab holds the record for the largest leg span of any arthropod, reaching up to 3.7 meters from claw to claw, and can live more than 50 years in deep water.
What defines this group — Crustaceans
Armoured arthropods: crabs, shrimp and lobsters, all built around an external shell.
- The skeleton is on the outside; growing means shedding it — the moult.
- Jointed legs in pairs, often reshaped into claws or antennae.
- The larvae drift with the plankton in open water before settling on the bottom.
Other species in this group
- Common hermit crab
- Green shore crab
- Caribbean spiny lobster
- Skunk cleaner shrimp
- Spinous spider crab
- Common prawn