1. THEY ARE THE LARGEST CRAB-The average crab species only weighs 1 to 3 pounds, but the Japanese spider crab can weigh a whopping 40 pounds. It also has a leg span of about 13 feet.
2. THEY ARE NOT HUNTERS- These creatures look rather menacing, they are slow moving and calm. Japanese spider crabs are not hunters and do not actively stalk or hunt other animals.
3. THEY LIVE FOR A LONG TIME-Japanese spider crabs can live between 50 and 100 years, which is an extremely long time when you consider that most crab species have a lifespan of only 3 to 5 years.
4. THEY CAN REGENERATE THEIR LEGS-It is a sad fact that these long-legged crabs can sometimes get their legs torn off if they are attacked by predators or caught in a fishing net.
5. THEIR CARAPACE STAYS THE SAME SIZE-The carapace is the hard upper shell of crabs that acts as a protective shield, protecting the animal’s cephalothorax.
6. THE FEMALE JAPANESE SPIDER CRAB CAN LAY OVER 1 MILLION EGGS-Every season, the female of the species can lay 1.5 million eggs. Their mating season lasts from January to April.
7. FEMALE JAPANESE SPIDER CRABS WEAR APRONS-Their aprons are where the female of the species carries their eggs once they become fertilized by the male spider crab.
8. THEY SWIM TO SHALLOW WATERS TO MATE AND SPAWN-They will migrate to waters much shallower and warmer during their mating and spawning period.