An ocean crustacean that could cause annihilation by strangulation but chooses not to.
The reason Godzilla got scared and left the sea.
The arthropod that's canonically twice as big as Charizard,
this is the Japanese spider crab.
Hi I'm Danielle Dufoe and you're watching Animal Logic.
Today we're talking about the closest thing on earth to face huggers
except this guy can hug your entire family at the same time
and still have room to spare.
The Japanese spider crabs or Macrocheira kaempferi are part of the Inachidae family.
Of course they're not actually spiders.
Their name comes from their unusually long limbs
that make them look like the daddy longlegs of the ocean.
If daddy longlegs existed in your nightmares.
Among their closest living relatives are the slightly smaller common spider crabs which can
be about three centimetres long, over a hundred times smaller than its real-life kaiju cousin.
They're tiny little goobers compared to the mighty Japanese spider crab
which can have a total wingspan of about 3.7 meters.
They dwarf every other crustacean in the world.
Even the coconut crabs are tiny in comparison.
Their carapace is comparatively small
at about 40 centimetre but it all adds up to a hefty 20 kilograms.
The one behind me is to scale.
That's how big they are!
It seems excessive and awkward but there's always a reason for their size.
These guys are actually a type of decorator crab.
Japanese spider crabs furbish their carapaces and legs with plant matter as well as sponges,
anemones and other ocean organisms, which continue growing on the crab's back.
This helps them camouflage on the ocean floor and avoid predation.
They're one of several species that exhibits this behaviour.
When they're small their long, decorated legs look like seaweed stalks,
but as they get bigger protection from predators becomes slightly less important
but they maintain their lumpy carapace
which in deep water with dim lighting looks just like a rock.
They're omnivores but they prefer eating plants and carrion instead of hunting.
They're gentle giants.
Oh, I just want to give them a big hug!
Like most crustaceans, they come into this world invisible to the eye.
Their journey to 'humongousness' starts as microscopic little eggs.
Japanese spider crab reproduction begins when the
male uses his claws to deposit a sperm packet into the female.
She carries the eggs until they hatch, about 10 days later into plankton.
The eggs are so tiny that in a single season a female can lay over a million eggs.
Unfortunately the odds are stacked against them and only a handful reach adulthood.
To get there they'll need to go through four stages of development.
The speed of their growth depends on food availability and water temperature.
Like other invertebrates they continue growing throughout their entire lives.
They're thought to live up to a hundred year, so there's plenty of time to get Swole!
When they molt they become immobile and they emerge from the rear of their carapace.
In larger individuals this process can take almost two hours.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer of these crabs are getting the chance to become centenarians.
Trawling fisheries sweep the ocean floor taking everything with them.
In some regions spider crab legs are very sought after and the demand has affected populations.
The current average size of Japanese spider crabs captured in Suruga Bay is just over a meter.
We don't know their current conservation status
because deep sea species populations are difficult to evaluate,
but there are efforts to help these leggy redheads.
It's now illegal to catch them in the winter when they go up to shallower waters to mate.
There's also a restocking program using larvae hatched in artificial ponds.
This is possible because they grow well in pools, ponds and aquaria.
They seem to be happy provided that they have enough room,
food and the water is the right temperature.
About 10 degrees Celsius.
With populations declining and a preference for deep water,
your best chance to see them is at an aquarium.
We don't always recommend going to places that keep animals in captivity,
but some facilities do great conservation and education work.
So if you can and it's safe; go see a Japanese spider crab in person.
It's one of the most amazing animals you will ever see.
I mean it!
So what should I talk about next?
Please let me know in the comments and be sure to subscribe for new episodes every week.
Thanks for watching, see ya!