also: けがに
hair crab; Erimacrus isenbeckii
A species of crab with a hairy shell, commonly eaten in Japan, especially in Hokkaido. Often served boiled or in hot pots.
Hair crab is a specialty in Hokkaido.
毛ガニを茹でて食べた。
I boiled and ate a hair crab.
Most common spelling in everyday use, especially in markets and restaurants.
Hiragana variant; less common but still seen.
Kanji spelling; used in some contexts but less frequent than the katakana form.
Compound of 毛 (ke, 'hair') and 蟹 (kani, 'crab'), referring to the hairy shell characteristic of this species.