Deep-sea spider crab
※Off display.

This species of deep-sea spider crab was collected at a depth of 600 meters off of Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The individual in the image is a mature female with a carapace width of 40 mm. It is active mainly at night. When the tank light comes on in early morning it burrows into the sand and hides. When it burrows, it rubs its abdomen against the sand to dig a hole, and after placing its body in the hole, it will then use its legs and claws to carefully cover its body with sand. There are many sharp spines on the first three segments of its thorax, which are thought to be for both defense and to catch prey.  During captive rearing we have observed it releasing larvae from its abdomen, and it released over 3,000 zoea larvae in 10 days. Its body is orange and each leg has faint orange and white stripes. The individual’s left claw in the image is white. This suggests it is a new claw that regenerated through molting.