The Colossal Japanese Spider Crab: Earth’s Largest Arthropod, Yet Unable to Swim

The ocean floor is home to many extraordinary creatures. Among the most unusual representatives of marine fauna is undoubtedly the Japanese spider crab. This colossal crustacean looks like a creature from another world, retaining many morphological characteristics of the Macrocheira genus that appeared on Earth millions of years ago. What does the Japanese spider crab look like, and where is it found? I’ll answer these questions and more below.