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Giant Pacific octopus vs Japanese spider crab

Giant Pacific octopus vs Japanese spider crab
Near enough equal on weight
Giant Pacific octopus and Japanese spider crab are near enough identical on weight.

A giant Pacific octopus and a Japanese spider crab can be compared on 3 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Giant Pacific octopus Japanese spider crab
Weight 10–71 kg 10–19 kg
Width 3–6 m 3–3.8 m
Typical lifespan 3–5 yr 50–100 yr

What the numbers say

  • Giant Pacific octopus and Japanese spider crab are near enough identical on weight.
  • Giant Pacific octopus is somewhat greater than Japanese spider crab on width — about 1.2×.
  • Japanese spider crab is 15× giant Pacific octopus on typical lifespan.

Weight compared.

Japanese spider crab 10–19 kg
Giant Pacific octopus 10–71 kg

Giant Pacific octopus

The largest octopus species, with three hearts, blue blood and about 2,000 suckers.

Japanese spider crab

The arthropod with the greatest leg span of any living species.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, giant Pacific octopus or Japanese spider crab?
Giant Pacific octopus and Japanese spider crab are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do giant Pacific octopuses and Japanese spider crabs compare on width?
Giant Pacific octopus: 3–6 m. Japanese spider crab: 3–3.8 m. Giant Pacific octopus is somewhat greater than Japanese spider crab on width — about 1.2×.
How do giant Pacific octopuses and Japanese spider crabs compare on typical lifespan?
Giant Pacific octopus: 3–5 yr. Japanese spider crab: 50–100 yr. Japanese spider crab is 15× giant Pacific octopus on typical lifespan.

Related pages

Sources

  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked