Coconut crab - coconut crab (English spelling)

Japanese: ヤシガニ(椰子蟹) - ヤシガニ（英語表記）coconut crab

A decapod crustacean of the family Paguridae (illustration). A land-dwelling hermit crab, it is widely distributed from Yoron Island southward to islands in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, and is named after the fact that it is particularly common in palm forests. In the Yaeyama region of Okinawa, it is called Makkan (or Makkon) or Makogani. This large species reaches a body length of 12 cm and a weight of 1.3 kg, and its cephalothorax, abdomen, claws, and ambulatory legs are extremely hard, and unlike other hermit crabs, it does not fit into a snail shell. When alive, it is a bright or dark purple-blue color, and often has reddish-brown parts.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

十脚目オカヤドカリ科の甲殻類（イラスト）。陸上にすむヤドカリで，与論島以南から南太平洋，インド洋の島々に広く分布し，とくにヤシの林などに多いためこの名がある。沖縄八重山地方ではマッカン(あるいはマッコン)とかマコガニと呼ぶ。体長12cm，重さ1.3kgに達する大型種で，頭胸甲，腹部，はさみ脚，歩脚とも著しく硬く，他のヤドカリと異なり巻貝に入らない。生きているときは鮮やかな，あるいは黒ずんだ紫青色で，部分的に赤褐色をおびることが多い。

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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