also: みなみこめつきがに
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.
Many soldier crabs were seen on the sandy beach at low tide.
When it senses danger, the soldier crab quickly burrows into the sand.
Hiragana spelling, also common in informal contexts.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in taxonomic or specialized literature.
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.