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Heikegani

*** Shopping-Tip: Heikegani
{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Heikegani | image = | image_width = 280px | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Arthropoda | classis = Malacostraca | ordo = Decapoda | subordo = Pleocyemata | infraordo = Brachyura | sectio = Heterotremata | superfamilia = Dorippoidea | familia = Dorippidae | genus = '''''Heikea''''' | species = '''''H. japonica''''' | binomial = ''Heikea japonica'' | binomial_authority = (Philipp Franz von Siebold von Siebold, 1824) }} '''Heikegani''' (平家蟹, ヘイケガニ) is a species of crab native to Japan, with a shell that bears a pattern resembling a human face. It is locally believed that these crabs are reincarnations of the spirits of the Taira Heike warriors defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura as told in the Heike Monogatari ("The Tale of the Heike"). Heikegani are rarely eaten, and it is considered proper to throw them back into the sea if they are caught. For this reason, the Heike crab was used by Carl Sagan in his popular science television show Cosmos: A Personal Voyage as an example of unintentional artificial selection, as the crabs with shells resembling Samurai have a greater chance of reproducing. Category:Crabs fr:Heikegani ja:ヘイケガニ