I was amazed the first time I saw a Japanese Spider Crab at the Manila Ocean Park's Oceanarium---I never thought crabs could grow so big. The orange body of this spider crab is about the size of a child's head. I encountered these gentle giants the second time around when I visited the Cold Water Quest Gallery of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta last August.
These giant crabs live on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese archipelago, at the depths of 150 to 1000 feet where it is very dark and cold which makes them difficult to capture. It is believed that they can live as long as 100 years. This crab is a scavenger that feeds on dead animal and plant materials. Its small, pointed claws can also pry open shells of mollusks. An adult Japanese spider crab can grow up to 12 feet across (with legs spread out) and its body at 15 inches wide, the largest living arthropod (group of animals that includes crabs, shrimps, insects and spiders). After molting, the crab will consume its former shell in order to recover important nutrients. (Sources: Georgia Aquarium and Wikipedia)
These giant crabs live on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese archipelago, at the depths of 150 to 1000 feet where it is very dark and cold which makes them difficult to capture. It is believed that they can live as long as 100 years. This crab is a scavenger that feeds on dead animal and plant materials. Its small, pointed claws can also pry open shells of mollusks. An adult Japanese spider crab can grow up to 12 feet across (with legs spread out) and its body at 15 inches wide, the largest living arthropod (group of animals that includes crabs, shrimps, insects and spiders). After molting, the crab will consume its former shell in order to recover important nutrients. (Sources: Georgia Aquarium and Wikipedia)
