Horse crab (hairy crab)

Japanese: ケガニ(毛蟹) - ケガニ（英語表記）horse crab

This crab belongs to the family Cynodontidae of the Crustacea class, and is sometimes called the giant crab (illustration). There is only one species in one genus. It is a cold-water crab, and is found in abundance along the coasts of Hokkaido, but it also travels south to the coast of Miyagi Prefecture and is widely distributed in the Sea of Japan. It inhabits a wide area, from the Bering Sea to the coast of Alaska in the north. It is caught using cage nets and other methods, and the fishing grounds are 30 to 60 meters deep on sandy and muddy bottoms, with a maximum fishing depth of 100 meters. The carapace is poorly calcified and not very hard, making it convenient for eating. The carapace is slightly rectangular in shape, with four projections along the front edge and seven along the side edges.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

甲殻綱クリガニ科のカニで，オオクリガニと呼ばれることもある（イラスト）。1属1種。寒海性で，北海道各地の沿岸に多産するが，宮城県沖まで南下し，日本海には広く分布している。北はべーリング海を経てアラスカ沿岸まで広域にわたって生息している。漁獲は籠網などで行われ，漁場は30～60mの砂泥底で，操業深度は100mが限度。甲は石灰化が不十分で，あまり硬くなく，食用としてはつごうがよい。甲の輪郭はわずかに縦長の四角形で，前縁に四つ，側縁に七つの突起が並んでいる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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