also: みなみこめつきがに
noun
soldier crab (Mictyris brevidactylus)
A small, round, blue-grey crab found on sandy tidal flats in southern Japan and other parts of East Asia. Known for its habit of walking forward and burrowing quickly into the sand.
干潮の砂浜でミナミコメツキガニがたくさん見られた。
Many soldier crabs were seen on the sandy beach at low tide.
ミナミコメツキガニは、危険を感じると素早く砂に潜る。
When it senses danger, the soldier crab quickly burrows into the sand.
The Japanese name ミナミコメツキガニ literally means 'southern rice-pounding crab', likely from its southern distribution and the motion of its claws resembling rice pounding. The exact origin is uncertain.