Horsehair crab: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the horsehair crab lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Erimacrus isenbeckii
Group	Crabs, lobsters & shrimps
Found in	1 country
Continents	North America
Class	Crustacean
Order	Decapoda
Family	Cheiragonidae

Where does the horsehair crab live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the horsehair crab in 1 country or territory across North America.

United States

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the horsehair crab?

The horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii) is a crustacean in the order Decapoda and the family Cheiragonidae, genus Erimacrus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the horsehair crab

The horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii) is a species of crab which is found mainly in the Northwest Pacific, around the Hokkaido coast in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Western Bering Sea and is an important commercial species used in Japanese cuisine. It is also known by its Japanese name, kegani (ケガニ "hairy crab").

Despite the importance of the species, biological studies are usually specialized and limited. The catch for the species reached a peak in the 1950s at 27,000 tons and has decreased since, reaching 2,000 tons in 2003. Due to the commercial importance of the species, many stock enhancement programs have been utilized to help maintain a successful fishery. The species is commonly found on sandy benthic environments from shallow water to depths of up to 350 meters.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Horsehair crab (revision 1344360411), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q797918 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).