The largest crustacean currently known to man, the Japanese spider crab can grow as large as 12.5 feet from one claw to another. These huge crabs have 10 legs, which give the creature its name. They primarily have an orange and white coloring on top, and a cream colored underbelly.

Females tend to have larger abdomens than the males, and the males are just larger altogether. Just behind the eyes, two spines protrude upwards from the crab’s head. Young Japanese spider crabs will decorate their shells with sponges and sea anemones to hide themselves from predators.

The Japanese spider crab is native to the Pacific ocean off the coast of Japan. These crabs have also been found as far as Taiwan, though that is incredibly odd for the species. 

They inhabit depths from 150-300 meter, but during breeding season they tend to stay at around 50 meters. Juvenile Japanese spider crabs will stick to shallower waters until reaching maturity to avoid predation.

Strangely, these larger-than-life crustaceans do not prefer to hunt for their food, instead they search for plants or animals that have already died. They have been known to eat live fish and other invertebrates if necessary however.

Japanese spider crabs reproduce via internal fertilization, and the female will lay over a million eggs! Sadly, not nearly as many survive. 

Ironically, once the eggs hatch, it is discovered that the Japanese spider crab offspring barely reach .3 inches in length. Don’t worry, studies have shown that these crabs have a growth rate of approximately 22%, so they won’t stay that tiny for long. The young receive no parental care after hatching.

The Japanese spider crab appears to be strong and mighty given its size; however, their imposing legs are actually incredibly weak. One study found that over ¾ of the crabs that were observed had at least one missing leg.