Heikegani aka samurai crab, is an interesting crab species with a unique appearance, especially its shell. Heike or Taira was once a powerful clan that dominated medieval Japan, and the Japanese people really respect these crabs. Despite being edible, most Japanese people do not eat these crabs. It is not every day you come across something like this, and I am sure Heikegani is super new to you. Let’s find out more about them below.
1Appearance
A Heikegani is a crab with a broad and oval-shaped carapace that has a distinctive pattern of grooves and ridges. It is around 2 centimeters in size, quite a pretty small crab. Its shell is usually brown or gray in color, and it has a mottled or speckled pattern. Despite being small, these decapods have rather long legs, 4 long ones and 4 short ones. Along with that, it also has large claws that it uses for defense and feeding just like most crabs out there. What’s so unique about Heikegani is that its shell bears a pattern that resembles a human face. It is not just any human’s face, it is the proper scowling facial expression of a samurai; hence the name.
2Feeding & Habitats
The range of the Heikegani is across Australia, China, and Japan, mainly in Coral Sea, Seto Inland Sea, South China Sea, and Yellow Sea. They inhabit sandy, shallow, or muddy areas where they feed on algae and small invertebrates. These coastal water crabs are also important food source for other marine animals like birds and fish. And due to the fact that people don’t really eat them, their population is doing really well out there.
3History
Taira clan aka Heike was a powerful clan full of warriors, and it is believed that these crabs are reincarnations of Heike warriors. These warriors sacrificed their lives to fight, yet were defeated in the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185. It was a bloody civil war between Japan’s two most important political clans, the Minamoto (Genji) and the Taira (Heike). The battle was on the water, and tides did not favor the Taira clan. At the same time, the Minamoto clan rained down arrows upon the Taira fleet. Knowing that they would lose, the warriors and the young emperor of the clan flung themselves into the sea to drown rather than be captured. According to this legend, the drowned samurai from the Taira clan imprint themselves on these crabs. To show respect, Japanese fishermen will throw these crabs back into the sea when caught.
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