Japanese mitten crab
Eriocheir japonica
- Water temperature12–20 °C
- Best monthsMay, July, and August
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) harum.koh, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by harum.koh · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
The Japanese mitten crab, is a species of crab native to Korea and Japan. It is catadromous, being usually found in freshwater and brackish environments, but moving downstream into coastal marine environments to breed.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Japanese mitten crab”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 42 records
- February: 32 records
- March: 57 records
- April: 77 records
- May: 110 records
- June: 73 records
- July: 107 records
- August: 160 records
- September: 98 records
- October: 106 records
- November: 67 records
- December: 54 records
Depth and water temperature
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 12–20 °C
Photos
(c) harum.koh, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by harum.koh · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Wang J.P., some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) 岸本年郎, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) mami_t_t, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) 許文俊, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) りなべる, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jay Paroline, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Japanese mitten crab, Mokuzu crab
Names in 2 more languages
- German
- Japanische Wollhandkrabbe
- Japanese
- ミナミモクズガニ, モクズガニ／ヅガニ／ヤマガニ
Other scientific names: Eriocheir formosa, Eriocheir japonicus, Eriocheir rectus, Eriochirus japonicus, Grapsus (Eriocheir) japonicus
Similar species
Tunneling Mud CrabAustrohelice crassa
Smooth Shore CrabCyclograpsus lavauxi
Smooth Shore CrabCyclograpsus audouinii
Purple Mottled Shore CrabCyclograpsus granulosus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 281 open-data records from 1906 to 2000.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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