See faces on a wall Or in any daily object it is not a symptom of madness. This phenomenon has a name: Pareidoliaand that is what makes us perceive as something recognizable a way that initially has no pattern. If we put effort, we can See recognizable ways In almost anything, even in the shell of a crab. And, if not, they tell the Japanese and their samurai crabs that keep the spirit of the fallen warriors in a battle.
Or so the legend says.
Heikegani. The Japanese heikesis They are a family of crabs that inhabit, mainly, in Japan. They have been found in some other western Pacific areas, but where they are more numerous in the Japanese country and, specifically, in the inner sea. They live in shallow waters in which they camouflage and find food, and could be normal crabs if not for their shell.
Because, if in the photos that accompany this article you see a Miegu mask traditionally used by Samurais of feudal Japan At the top of the crab, you should know that you are not the only one. And, how could it be otherwise, the Japanese folklore It has an explanation for this phenomenon.
The legend. At the end of the 12th century, the Genji clan and the Heike clan fought in a bloody Battle in the bay dan-no -urain the inner sea of Japan. The Heike had ruled for decades, but the Genji wanted power and were more numerous. They won the battle and established a warrior government in Japan, a Shogunate which lasted for seven centuries while their enemies fell into the bay Under steel Or, directly, drowned.
It is said that the spirits of those heike warriors who drowning were reincarnated in living beings who caught more by hand, crabs, and Thus they were born These Heikegani. Samurai crabs changed their shells, adopting the patterns of the faces and masks of the fallen warriors, and culturally they are a symbol of resistance and loyalty.
Antinatural selection. It is a beautiful story, but unfortunately it is nothing more than something belonging to the rich Japanese folklore. Now, it is evident that these ‘samurai crabs’ have something special and, certainly, their shell is very similar to the masks. The explanation? Well, according to Carl Sagan -Yes, the famous astronomer– The Heikegani were created from the Artificial selection.
They are edible and fish by the premises, but in the process of selecting individuals, the fishermen kept the “normal” crabs and returned to the water those who showed that pattern in the shell. It was a sign of respect for the heike warriors, and Sagan popularized the idea that these selected crabs were reproduced, perpetuating that curious design.
Simple coincidence? However, there are those who doubt this story and offers an alternative vision. Joel Martin It is a biologist associated with the Department of invertebrate Zoology in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and has dedicated its career to investigate the evolution of crustaceans and other invertebrates. One of his most famous works is the job On the samurai crab published in 1993- in it, it states that humans practically did not consume Heikegani, so the selective pressure would be minimal or non-existent.
Functionality. Your explanation? That these facial patterns similar to masks are due to own functional anatomy of the crabsince they represent the muscle insertion points Very similar to crabs that we see in other parts of the world. If we see the crab backwards (they are more ugly than a refrigerator from behind), it has all the meaning and the researcher points out that this interpretation we make of their faces is simply one more example of pareidolia.
Martin may be right, but I definitely stay with the version that Samurai crabs are there watching the battle spirits in the bay in which Japan changed forever.
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