A rare sighting of a highly toxic devil crab (Zosimus aeneus) was last week reported in a residential area in Penghu County, the Fisheries Research Institute said on Sunday.
Penghu Marine Biology Research Center director Justin Hsieh (謝恆毅) said that the crab was spotted on Friday night on a street in Longmen Village (龍門) in Husi Township (湖西) on the eastern part of Penghu’s main island.
The 10cm crab likely escaped after being caught by a fisher in a bottom gillnet, and was taken by the center for use as a research specimen after it was reported, Hsieh said.
Photo courtesy of Gan Tsui-ling
Devil crabs are found in tropical waters throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, but are relatively rare in Penghu, he said.
Although less toxic than the more common mosaic reef crab, devil crabs contain significant concentrations of tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, which are not destroyed when cooked, he said.
In terms of appearance, devil crabs have an oval, smooth carapace marked with yellow-orange to orange-red patches, he said.
While the waters around Penghu are home to a large variety of edible crab species, Hsieh urged people to exercise caution and check with experts at the research center before consuming unidentified crab species that are reddish or especially striking in color.
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