Japanese crab spider. Giant Japanese Crab

Crabs are classed as Higher cancers, type Arthropods, detachment Desyatinohie crustaceans. Meet these animals on our planet everywhere. Crabs have five pairs of limbs. The first of them has long been turned into quite powerful claws. The size of these animals depends on the species. Usually, the width of the shell of an arthropod varies from two to thirty centimeters.

Variety of species

On the European coasts, land crabs are most common. They can be found on a rough strip with soft ground. There also lives a crab-finch. In this animal, the last pair of limbs are small blades. Crabs of this species are excellent swimmers. They get their food in the water. The closest relative of these two species is the Chinese crab. Spider, it's a giant crab, lives near the Japanese islands in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The largest arthropod

Japanese spider crab belongs to the family Majidae. The scientific name of the arthropod is in Latin - Macrocheira kaempferi. His crab was given in honor of Engelbert Kempfer - a German naturalist and traveler. For the first time this crustacean was described in 1836 by Conrad Jacob Temminck, a Dutch zoologist.

Japanese spider crab (see photo below) is the largest of all arthropods.

The largest specimens of this species of crabs have a length of carapace up to forty-five centimeters. At the same time they are owners of rather long legs. It should be said that the sweep of the first pair can reach three meters. This crab is equipped with forty-centimeter claws. They serve as a powerful weapon for the arthropod. There are individuals whose maximum body length with legs reaches four meters.

The chest and head of the Japanese crab are covered with a short and flat carapace, ending with a sharp rostrum. Protection of the arthropod is provided by numerous spines and tubercles. They are located in the upper part of the carapace. The weight of these giants is often twenty kilograms.

At the depth of the ocean there is a high pressure created by the water column. However, the shell of the giant crab is protected from indentation by a layer of strong chitin.

In particular, the joints of the animal's legs are arranged. They allow him to move only sideways. The cartilage surfaces in the joint are very smooth. This greatly reduces friction.

Japanese spider crab is an arthropod, possessing an orange body. His feet are decorated with white spots. The crab's eyes are located on the front of the head. Two spikes stick out between them.

Nutrition and reproduction

Japanese spider crab performs on the ocean floor the same work as the bird vulture on land. It feeds on the skeletons of dead animals, mollusks and plants.

It is assumed that this arthropod can last up to a hundred years. Find individuals of this species at a depth of one hundred and fifty to eight hundred meters. With the onset of spring, crabs rise closer to the surface. At this time, they can be found at a depth of fifty meters. Why is this happening? It is at this depth that crabs are engaged in the continuation of a kind. In this period there is a ban on their catching.

During spawning, one female can lay aside one and a half million eggs. However, only a small number of them can survive to reproductive age. Predatory inhabitants of the ocean hunt for small crabs. Those individuals that are larger, become the prey of man. The Japanese spider crab is capable of reproducing offspring from the age of ten.

Eating

Crab meat is recommended for dietary nutrition. It contains a small amount of carbohydrates and harmful fats. In addition, crab meat has a pleasant taste and is easily digested.

This delicacy product is perfect for those who want to get rid of extra pounds. In this process, coarse fibers, which are stored in large quantities in crabmeat, help. The product is rich in taurine, iodine, vitamins and many other useful elements for human health.

The giant Japanese crab is often harvested for food purposes. Only young individuals are suitable for fishing, which did not have time to give offspring. The meat of such crabs is considered very delicate. It is a delicacy everywhere. Unfortunately, the catch of these arthropods affects the reduction of their populations.

And now as for adults. Due to the fact that their food consists of shellfish, all the things that are at great depths fall, the meat of such spider crabs gets a bitter taste. Therefore, for gastronomic purposes it is not suitable. If in the fishermen's network such a specimen falls, then it is sold to a terrarium or water park for the joy of visitors.

Crab-record holder

Just recently a huge specimen of this species of arthropod was caught. He was given the nickname Crab-Kong. The size of this specimen is three meters across. The distance between the claws exceeds 240 cm. But this crab will still grow. When he becomes an adult, he can easily ride a car.

The marine crab spider caught fishing nets to the south-west of Tokyo, in the Suruga Bay area. In connection with the fact that the gastronomic qualities of the meat of this animal are very much appreciated, originally the fishermen planned to cook soup from it. However, the crab was lucky. Fishermen contacted Robin James, a biologist who had recently visited their village.

Currently, Crab Kong is found in the marine zoo Weymouth Sea Life Park, which is located in the English city of Wesmouth. This fifteen kilogram monster is the largest crab ever kept in captivity.

Crab-Kong, which is a true miracle of the depths of the sea, will not last long in Wesmouth. After some time it is planned to transport it to Munich and place it in the center of "Sea Life".

Despite the fact that this specimen is considered the largest of those kept in captivity, it is believed that the Japanese spider crab can reach such dimensions when the distance between its claws exceeds three and a half meters.

Interesting Facts

A young specimen of a spider crab can only grow if it discards the outer hard shell. Under it is a soft internal, which the arthropod should be able to inflate before hardening.

In the case when a crab accidentally remains without a leg, it will inevitably grow a new one. Sometimes a crab-spider on the shore throws out a sea wave. If the animal is entangled in the dam between the stones, then it will not survive.