The spider crab has been an attraction in the museum since 1976.

The puzzle of the Spider crab

There are few museums that can decorate with a model of a Japanese spider crab. The unusual marine animal lives solely off the Japanese coast at depths between 50 and 300 metres. With its enormous size and the spider-like appearance, it has the appearance of a mythical creature. And if you could encounter this bizarre creature on land, their existence would certainly have been long since compromised. The inaccessible habitat of the Spider crab and their less tasty flesh protect against too much hunting.

Why these rare deep-sea crabs reach that size is unknown. But they are, as a result, one of the largest arthropods in the world. Especially in the male animals the front pincer legs can reach a span of up to 3.70 metres. The legs of the females are much shorter. The exhibit in OCEANOGRAPHIC MUSEUM is, therefore, a male Spider crab.

When this animal arrived in 1975 via the Natural History Museum Berlin in the Stralsund collection, its imposing appearance could hardly be seen. The now so colourful animal was delivered in a wooden box full of small, faded fragments. The former taxidermist at the museum, Edward Kretschmar, managed, however, to put the pieces together after laborious puzzle work. Initially the exhibit was still seen in an unnaturally pale tone in the museum exhibition. It was only in 1993 that the Spider crab got its original colouring after a rare photograph which was taken at the time.

The crabs were given the species name "Macrocheira kaempferi" after the German physician and explorer Engelbert Kaempfer, who provided the first scientific description in 1690.