Cardisoma carnifex
Japanese Name: ミナミオカガニ
Chinese Name: 凶狠圓軸蟹
English Name: Brown Land Crab
Origin: Coastal regions of Southeast Asia bordering the Pacific and Indian Oceans; in Japan, found on islands south of Yoronjima in the Ryukyu Islands.
The Brown Land Crab is one of the terrestrial crabs found in the Ryukyu Islands. In recent years, its population has declined sharply due to coastal habitat destruction and roads that block access to the sea for larval release. Although it also occurs on Okinawajima, it is relatively rare there.
This species closely resembles the Pacific Land Crab (Tuerkayana hirtipes) in appearance. However, they can be distinguished by the color of their compound eyes: Brown Land Crabs have gray eyes, while Pacific Land Crabs have black eyes.
