Today we are going to talk about Japanese Spider Crab. This crab is a species of sea crab that lives in the waters around Japan. This type of crab has the largest leg span of an arthropod. Japanese Spider Crabs go through three main larval stages along with the prezoeal stage to grow to their large size. So let's gather some more information about Japanese Spider Crab.
The Japanese Spider Crab reaches 3.7 meters from its claws to claws. The body of this crab can grow up to 40 cm in size and the width of the carapace. And this crab can weigh up to 19 kilograms. The male species of Japanese Spider Crab has a long chilipad. The female species of this crab has very few chelipeds that are shorter than a pair of legs. Apart from the size of the Japanese Spider Crab, the Japanese spider crab is different from other crabs in many ways.
The first pleopods of the male species of this crab are unusually twisted and its larvae appear ancient. The Japanese Spider Crab also has a unique melting behavior that lasts up to 103 minutes, in which the Japanese Spider Crab loses its mobility and begins to melt its carapace later, ending with the crab's running legs melting.
This type of crab can be up to a hundred years old. The Japanese name for the Japanese Spider Crab, Taka-Ashi-Gani, translates to "tall leg crab". The Japanese Spider Crab is trying to avoid the hunter at night instead of disguising himself while catching its prey. Once the material is removed, it is brought in a special direction on the mouthparts of the Japanese Spider Crab and shaped before attaching to the exoskeleton.
This type of crab has an orange body with white spots on the legs. The short, stiff eye stems on the Japanese Spider Crab are located at the front of the carapace and have two thin spines stuck between them. The short, spiny tubercles on these crabs also cover the carapace.
Distribution and habitat
From Tokyo Bay in Japan to Kagoshima Province, the Japanese Spider Crab is found on the south coast of the Japanese island of Honshū. The Japanese Spider Crab is found in a selection of deep sea areas at an average depth of 344-984. The outer population of this crab is found in the Iwate Prefecture and the Su-ao Dam in Taiwan.
The Japanese Spider Crab is spawned in shallow water and has an average depth of 164 feet. The Japanese Spider Crab inhabits sandy and rocky bottoms in the Pacific Ocean around Japan. These crabs prefer to live in holes in the deeper parts of the ocean.
The Japanese Spider Crab is regularly seen at a depth of 300 m in Suruga Bay where the water is usually about 10 C. This type of crab tolerates between at least 6 and 16 C depending on the results of the public aquarium but is usually maintained at 10–13 C.
Characteristics
The carapace of the Japanese Spider Crab is pear-shaped and narrow towards its head and light tones from dark orange. The female species of this crab has a wide abdomen and yet its legs continue to grow. The walking legs of the Japanese Spider Crab are seen hooking inwards to help hooking and catching. The long legs of the Japanese Spider Crab are considered weak and the giant Japanese Spider Crab is often found missing one leg.
Behavior
Despite the ferocious appearance of the Japanese Spider Crab, it has a calm and gentle nature. Unable to swim, the Japanese Spider Crab spends most of its time roaming the seashore, foraging for food. This giant ornamental crab adorns the spider crab with its algae and has sponges to enhance its camouflage to hide from predators such as fish and octopus. Japanese Spider Crab are omnivorous scavengers.
Reproduction
This type of crab will migrate to shallow water during the breeding months from January to April. The male species of Japanese Spider Crab inserts sperm into the female's abdomen using their first two claws. The female species of Japanese Spider Crab lays 10 million eggs. The abdomen of the female species of this wrinkle is wider than the male to provide space for the brooding egg mass.
After hatching ten days on this type of crab, the larval stage begins. Only a few of the millions of offspring of the Japanese Spider Crab can survive into adulthood. The Japanese Spider Crab goes through two zoeal phases and a megalopa phase and it all happens quickly.
Diet
This type of crab is omnivorous and in the field for food. In the natural habitat of the Japanese Spider Crab, it feeds on dead animals and shellfish. The Japanese Spider Crab can also eat plants, algae, mollusks and small fish. Japanese Spider Crab can grab and tear meat in powerful pincers. The long legs of the Japanese Spider Crab enable them to move very quickly and to prey on their prey. The Japanese Spider Crab can feed on carnivorous meat and carbs on the seabed.
Other Information
Kingdom : Animalia
Family : Inachidae
Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Infraorder : Brachyura
Genus : Macrocheira
Subphylum : Crustacea
Species : M. kaempferi
Phylum : Arthropoda
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