#0376 · Generation III
What Animal Is Metagross Based On?
Metagross is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Japanese Spider Crab.
Closest animal
Japanese Spider CrabConfidence
Broad or mixed-animal match
How Metagross compares to the real Japanese Spider Crab
Metagross's official category is the Iron Leg Pokémon. AnimalDex rates its resemblance to the Japanese Spider Crab as a broad match, meaning the animal is one influence in a largely fantasy design. Metagross is a heavy steel creature with four clawed legs and a flat body, mostly a fantasy design. The Japanese spider crab is the nearest comparison for its armoured, wide body on long, jointed legs.
The comparison covers looks and behavior cues, not biology: Metagross is a fictional Pokémon, while the Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a real arachnid. On AnimalDex the real Japanese Spider Crab scores 37 for dominance, 12 for speed, 48 for size and 16 for intelligence, out of 100, so its strongest trait is size.
Official category: Iron Leg Pokemon. This page is an AnimalDex comparison for real-animal resemblance, not an official design-origin claim.
Meet the real Japanese Spider Crab
Macrocheira kaempferi
It has the greatest leg span of any living arthropod: large males are reported to reach about 3.7 metres from claw tip to claw tip, though the body between the legs is only about 40 centimetres across. It walks the seabed off Japan's Pacific coast, mostly at depths of roughly 50 to 600 metres.
How to recognize it
- The shell is pear-shaped, narrowing towards the front
- The body is orange and the legs are blotched with white
- Short spines and knobs cover the top of the shell
Real Japanese Spider Crab facts
- Adults are reported to move into shallower water, around 50 metres, to breed in spring, a season when fishing for them is closed in Japan.
- Smaller crabs have been seen fixing sponges and other seabed animals to their shells, which helps to hide them.
- Diet
- Shellfish, dead animals, algae, and benthic material.
- Lifespan
- Japanese Spider Crabs can live for many decades, making Long-Reach Patience a deep-sea version of slow endurance.
- Predators and threats
- Octopuses, large fish, humans, and vulnerable molting periods threaten spider crabs; armor and depth protect slow movement.
| Dominance | Speed | Size | Intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37/100 | 12/100 | 48/100 | 16/100 |
Metagross animal FAQ
- What animal is Metagross based on?
- Metagross is mostly a fantasy design, but its closest real animal is the Japanese Spider Crab. Metagross is a heavy steel creature with four clawed legs and a flat body, mostly a fantasy design. The Japanese spider crab is the nearest comparison for its armoured, wide body on long, jointed legs.
- Is Metagross a real animal?
- No. Metagross is a fictional Pokémon. Its closest real counterpart is the Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi), which AnimalDex covers with real field-guide facts.
- What is the real Japanese Spider Crab like?
- It has the greatest leg span of any living arthropod: large males are reported to reach about 3.7 metres from claw tip to claw tip, though the body between the legs is only about 40 centimetres across. It walks the seabed off Japan's Pacific coast, mostly at depths of roughly 50 to 600 metres.
- Which other Pokémon are based on the Japanese Spider Crab?
- AnimalDex also pairs Beldum and Metang with the Japanese Spider Crab.
More Japanese Spider Crab comparisons in Generation III
| No. | Pokemon | Closest animal | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| #0374 |  Beldum | broad | |
| #0375 |  Metang | broad |