For the first time in the world, the deep-sea crab Hexagonaloides bathyalis is being exhibited at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
This deep-sea crab Hexagonaloides bathyalis was collected by the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in 2009. It was described as a new species in collaboration with the Natural History Museum and Institute in Chiba, and the Biological Sciences Department of California State Polytechnic University. This species was rediscovered for the first time, 10 years after it was first described.

≪シンカイサンゴガニ≫
Scientific name：Hexagonaloides bathyalis

Coral crabs usually live in shallow waters from 1 to 100 meters, and as the name suggests they live symbiotically amongst corals. This species has a hexagonal shell and lives on the deep-sea floor at depths below 247 meters. This is the first time this crab was found after being discovered in 2010. The color of the crab was not known, however, through observation of the live specimen, we can see translucent legs, and yellow bands on the front of its shell.

Place of exhibit

Small Life in the Deep Sea in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Size of Exhibit

One individual: Width of carapace (shell) 5mm

Exhibit starts from

January 17th, 2019 (Thursday)
※*Exhibit may close depending on the condition of the animal.

The individual exhibited was collected at a depth of 320 meters during independent research conducted by Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium’s deep-sea creature surveys on January 10th, 2019. Even though its shell is just 5mm across it is considered an adult. Coral crabs are known to live symbiotically amongst corals and our hopes are to understand its behavior and ecology through exhibiting and caring for this species.

This species was first collected by Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, and was described as a new species in 2010.

This is the first individual found since its discovery 10 years ago, and the world’s first exhibition of this species.