spider crab
Long-legged sea crawler
A spider crab is any of various crabs with long, slender legs and a roughly triangular body, resembling a spider.
They move slowly along the ocean floor and often camouflage themselves with algae or debris.
The Japanese spider crab has the longest leg span of any arthropod, reaching over twelve feet.
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- cephalothoraxFused cranial-trunk section
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- long legsExtended lower limbs
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
mandible · gills · abdomen · decapod · arthropod · invertebrate · chitin · gangly
Of the sea bottom
- seafloorOcean's solid base
- tide poolWave-stranded water hollow
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
- continental shelfSubmerged perimeter of landmass
submarine canyon · kelp forest · rocky bottom · sediment · detritus · coral · anemone · echinoderms
Refined sensitivity or rarity
- sashimiThinly sliced raw fish
- sushiVinegared rice with toppings
- steamedHeated by vapor
- boiledHeated until bubbling
Dungeness · seafood · gourmet · umami · culinary · cuisine · seasonal
Shed outer covering
- sheddingLosing outer covering
- soft shellFlexible protective covering
- instarArthropod developmental stage
- growthIncrease in size
regeneration · vulnerable · scavenger · foraging · omnivore · slow-moving · migration · aggregation
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- cephalothoraxFused cranial-trunk section
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- long legsExtended lower limbs
antennae · mandible · gills · abdomen · decapod · arthropod · invertebrate · chitin · gangly · elongate
benthic
Of the sea bottom
continental shelf · submarine canyon · kelp forest · rocky bottom · sediment · detritus · coral · anemone · echinoderms · mollusks
delicacy
Refined sensitivity or rarity
boiled · Dungeness · seafood · gourmet · umami · culinary · cuisine · seasonal
molt
Shed outer covering
- sheddingLosing outer covering
- soft shellFlexible protective covering
- instarArthropod developmental stage
growth · regeneration · vulnerable · scavenger · foraging · omnivore · slow-moving · migration · aggregation · larval stage
spider crabblue crab
Swimming crab, Atlantic coast
Dungeness crab · stone crab · rock crab · king crab · mud crab