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Heikegani
EntityQ1594629· pop 21· linked from 13 articles

Heikegani

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Also known as Heikeopsis japonica, Heikea japonica, Heike Crab, Samurai Crab

is a species of crab native to Japan, with a shell that bears a pattern resembling a human face – an example of the phenomenon of pareidolia – which is interpreted to be the face of an angry samurai, hence the nickname samurai crab. The crabs are named after the once powerful Taira clan which dominated medieval Japan, commonly known as the Heike. It is believed that these crabs are reincarnations of the Heike warriors defeated at the naval Battle of Dan-no-ura as told in The Tale of the Heike. While the crabs are edible, they are not eaten by most Japanese.

Species

ヘイケガニ

Species

  1. PhylumArthropoda
  2. ClassMalacostraca
  3. OrderDecapoda
  4. FamilyDorippidae
Habitatmarine

平家蟹 平家蟹（又称日本平家蟹，学名：Heikea japonica，日文：ヘイケガニ），是一种属于关公蟹科平家蟹属的蟹类，主要分布在日本，在中国、韩国、越南等地也有分布。据《平家物语》所说，平氏武士在坛之浦之战之中被打败。由于这种蟹甲壳上图案与一怒气冲天的人脸相似，人们为了纪念这些武士，便将这种蟹命名为平家蟹。

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Encyclopedic overview

5 sections
Contents
  • Origin of the carapace pattern
  • Battle of Dan-no-ura
  • Cultural references
  • References
  • External links

is a species of crab native to Japan, with a shell that bears a pattern resembling a human face – an example of the phenomenon of pareidolia – which is interpreted to be the face of an angry samurai, hence the nickname samurai crab. The crabs are named after the once powerful Taira clan which dominated medieval Japan, commonly known as the Heike. It is believed that these crabs are reincarnations of the Heike warriors defeated at the naval Battle of Dan-no-ura as told in The Tale of the Heike. While the crabs are edible, they are not eaten by most Japanese.

== Origin of the carapace pattern == thumb|left|upright=1.2|Heikegani with human-like faces depicted in an ukiyo-e print by [[Utagawa Kuniyoshi.]]

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Heikegani” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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