Japanese spider crab: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

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

Scientific name	Macrocheira kaempferi
Group	Crabs, lobsters & shrimps
Found in	1 country
Continents	Asia
Class	Crustacean
Order	Decapoda
Family	Macrocheiridae

Where does the Japanese spider crab live?

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

Japan

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 Japanese spider crab?

The Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a crustacean in the order Decapoda and the family Macrocheiridae, genus Macrocheira. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Japanese spider crab

The Japanese giant spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a species of marine crab and is the largest crab found in the waters around Japan. At around 3.75 metres (12.3 ft), it has the largest leg-span of any arthropod. The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani, (Japanese: 高脚蟹; タカアシガニ), literally translating to "tall-legged crab". It goes through three main larval stages along with a prezoeal stage to grow to its full size.

The Japanese giant spider crab is the sole living member of the genus Macrocheira. Three fossil species of this genus are known: M. ginzanensis and M. yabei from the Miocene of Japan, and M. teglandi from the Oligocene. They are sought by crab fisheries, and are considered a delicacy in Japan. To prevent overexploitation from harming the species, conservation efforts have been put in place to protect them and their population from overfishing.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Japanese spider crab (revision 1371467594), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q273655 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).