Malacostraca | 
Decapoda | 
Majidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; depth range 50 - 400 m (Ref. 99853), usually 50 - 200 m (Ref. 99852).  Subtropical			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Northwest Pacific:  Japan and Taiwan.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 30.0 cm CW male/unsexed; (Ref. 343); max. published weight: 13.6 kg (Ref. 99323)			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Largest crab in the world.  Leg span may measure up to 3.7 m and weight may exceed more than 13.6 kg (Ref. 99323).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Copulation is evident.  Life cycle:  first stage zoeal larvae moults in 9-12 days after hatching;  second stage zoeae moults in 12-14 days after the first moulting, entering the megalopa stage.				
			
			
			
			
			
				Tanase, H. 1967 Preliminary notes on the zoea and megalopa of the giant spider crab, Macrocheira kaempferi de Haan. Publ. Seto Mar. Biol. Lab. XV(4):303-309. (Ref. 99852)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
					  Harmless				
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
							
			
			
				 | FishSource | 			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
  Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance   Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 9.8 - 23.2, mean 18.8 (based on 142 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Low vulnerability (20 of 100).