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Animalia >Arthropoda >Malacostraca >Decapoda >Majidae >Pugettia >

This species is widely distributed from Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyusyu of Japan, to Korea, and to northern China. It lives in rocky inter-tidal areas where seaweed is abundant. Many spider crabs attach small sessile organisms such as seaweed and sponges on their body surface. This is thought to be anti-predatory behavior whereby crabs merge into the surroundings and avoid being recognized as prey. The spider crab in the video picture (Pugettia quadridens quadridens) has hook-shaped hairs on frontal spines, posterior stomach region (upper third of the carapace), and posterior flank (sides of the carapace). It attaches algae and other things to those hairs in the same manner as Velcro tapes are fastened. In the video picture, a male is first chewing and softening a piece of algae so that the algae is easily attached to the hairs. It then puts the algal piece to the frontal spine by rubbing the piece against the spine. (translated by Asoh)

(Data No.momo040111pq01b)

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