Japanese spider crab
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A Japanese spider crab is good at walking forward.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Japanese spider crab
- Scientific name
- Macrocheira kaempferi
- Japanese name
- タカアシガニ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Macrocheiridae
- Genus
- Macrocheira
Where the name “Japanese spider crab” comes from
Its English name, spider crab, may refer to its long, thin legs resembling a spider’s.
葛西臨海水族園A crab of the deep sea near Japan. In spring it is thought to come up into shallower water to lay eggs.
With its long, thin legs spread out, it grows bigger than any other crab in the world.
It cannot swim; it walks around on the seafloor and eats dead fish, shellfish, and crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs.
How the Japanese spider crab lives
It spends much of its time looking for food. It often searches for food alone. It sometimes eats living seaweed.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Carapace length: up to 40 cm
- Diet
- Carcasses including fish, shellfish, and crustaceans
- Range
- Waters near Japan and the East China Sea east of Taiwan
Where the Japanese spider crab has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- タカアシガニ
- 简体中文
- 甘氏巨螯蟹
- 繁體中文
- 甘氏巨螯蟹
- 한국어
- 키다리게
- Español
- Cangrejo gigante japonés
- Français
- Crabe-araignée géant du Japon
- Deutsch
- Japanische Riesenkrabbe
- Português (Brasil)
- Caranguejo-aranha-gigante
- Italiano
- Granchio gigante del Giappone
- العربية
- سرطان العنكبوت الياباني
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Kepiting laba-laba Jepang
- Tiếng Việt
- Cua nhện Nhật Bản
- Русский
- Японский краб-паук
- Türkçe
- Japon örümcek yengeci
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — タカアシガニChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Macrocheira kaempferiChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Japanese spider crab, look for this
- Look for the slender spines sticking out between its eyes.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Japanese spider crab
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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