Species information
Scientific name: Amamiku amamensis
Japanese name: アマミミナミサワガニ
Chinese name: 奄美阿神蟹
English name: Amami Freshwater Crab
Origin: Endemic to Tokunoshima and Amami Oshima
Ecology and description
Amami Freshwater Crab belongs to the genus Amamiku, named after the creation goddess Amamiku from Ryukyu culture. This species was initially considered an Amami subspecies of Okinawa Candidiopotamon freshwater crab (Candidiopotamon okinawense), but a taxonomic revision in 2004 established a new genus. The genus Amamiku includes two species: Amami Freshwater Crab, found in Tokunoshima and Amami Oshima, and Amamiku occulta, which is native to Tokashikijima.
The carapace width of Amami Freshwater Crab is approximately 3 cm, characterized by a notch on each side of the anterior edge next to the eye cavity. The eggs are about 3 mm in diameter, larger than those of other freshwater crabs, and the juvenile crabs are also relatively large after hatching.
Reference:
Crabs of Mountains and Countryside in the Amami Islands
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
This species can be found in the upper reaches of streams on Amami Oshima.
