Fun Orangutan Crab Facts For Kids

Do you like reading about crabs, like hermit crabs? The Achaeus japonicus species is a primitive inhabitant of the Komodo islands of Indonesia. Apart from these islands they can be found along the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region as well. They are extremely beautiful by their appearance. The creatures have a small body and luxurious reddish fur covers the entire body. The color of the body might differ from reddish to slightly brownish. They mostly feed on plankton for food. If not planktons, they feed on the debris or particles that get stuck on their body hair. The species are most comfortable in environments that allow them to camouflage. Even though there is no accurate listing or distribution mentioned, there has been a decrease in their population trend. This is due to the over-fishing activities of this species by humans due to their commercial uses. This species is extremely vibrant and is an eye-catcher as a pet. This factor leads to the over-exploitation of the species.

 If you like reading about this, you might want to read about slipper lobster and emerald crab.

What type of animal is an orangutan crab?

The Achaeus japonicus crab belonging to the Inachidae family is a crab. They belong to the Arthropoda phylum and are a member of the Decapoda order.

What class of animal does an orangutan crab belong to?

This species from coral reefs of the tropical zone belongs to the Malacostraca class of animals. The species belong to the Animalia kingdom and is a member of the Achaeus genus.

How many orangutan crabs are there in the world?

There is no definitive listing of this species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN). Considering that there is certainty on the basis of their listing, the exact population of this coral species are also not known to the scientists as of now.

Where does an orangutan crab live?

The majority of the species are restricted to the Komodo Islands of Indonesia. Apart from Indonesia, they are also found within and around the central tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific seafloor.

What is an orangutan crab's habitat?

The habitat of this species includes the bubble coral and the coral reef of the seafloor. Tropical water cultivates the majority of the population. If not corals, they are found on the aquatic plants which makes it easy for them to camouflage. This creature lives on the corals feeding on the plankton or debris found on the corals.

Who do orangutan crabs live with?

These aquatic creatures are known to live alone only. They are mostly spotted living in isolation. Since they camouflage most of the time, it becomes difficult to spot a lot of them together. Also, when kept as a pet, they are kept in singular or very few numbers within the reef tanks.

How long does an orangutan crab live?

The exact lifespan of this creature is unknown to the researchers as of now.

How do they reproduce?

Considering the fact that these species are the creatures of the ultimate seafloor, not much is known about the lifestyle. Consequently, the reproductive process of this species is unknown to researchers as of now.

What is their conservation status?

It is Not Listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

What do orangutan crabs look like?

This species is one of its kind. The main distinctive and identifying characteristic is the red hairs or fur that covers the entire body. They have a small body along arms along with it. Although most of them are red in color, a few crabs were seen to have orangish hairy fur as well. Since they are mostly found along with the coral, the contrasting color at times makes it easy to locate and identify them. The long arms are mostly covered in furs. Apart from reddish or orangish hue, a few furs could be brownish in color as well. A lot of times they are spotted lying within smaller chunks of debris for camouflage.

How cute are they?

Just like the green crab, these small crabs are extremely cute by their appearances. Their red hairy body and the bubble coral at the back make them look very vibrant. This vibrant coloration makes them a treat to the visitor's eyes and is often kept as pets in reef tanks by humans.

How do they communicate?

These coral-based crabs are mostly seen alone and are not known to communicate much. Since they are mostly spotted in isolation not much has been known about their communication process.

How big is an orangutan crab?

These species are not very big and have an average length of around 0.8in (2cm). There are extremely small and are almost half the size of an average crab 1.05-1.39 in (2.69-3.54 cm).

How big do orangutan crabs get?

This species can grow as big as 0.8in (2cm) in length, which is around the same size as a hermit crab.

How much does an orangutan crab weigh?

The exact weight of this species is not known to researchers as of now.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name assigned to the male and the female members of the species. They are usually referred to as the sex that the individuals belong to.

What would you call a baby orangutan crab?

A baby crab is usually termed a young or juvenile crab.

What do they eat?

The Achaeus japonicus crab on plankton is found on the seafloor. Apart from the plankton, they depend on the debris that gets stuck to the hairs of their long arms. The species also find food through the bubble coral which is mostly covered with tiny particles or covered with plankton.

Are they dangerous?

This tiny crab is not considered to be harmful or dangerous to humans or any other coral animals, just like a red rock crab.

Would they make a good pet?

Considering the fact that this crab is a spider crab from the Indo-pacific water bodies, it is advised to not keep these crabs as pets. But there has been information regarding this species being kept as pets in a reef tank by humans.

Did you know...

This species is considered to be very clever by scientists. In different habitats and environments, they usually find a place where is it convenient for them to camouflage.

Few members related to the Inachidae family are also referred to as decorator crab due to the presence of decorative looks on them.

Naming the orangutan crab 

This species is known to have reddish fur on them similar to that of an orangutan. This similarity in the looks gives this crab its name.

What type of phylum is an orangutan crab?

This crab belongs to the Arthropoda phylum along with the Crustacea subphylum.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Maine lobster facts and land crab facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable beach crab coloring pages.