本調查研究自 1998 年一月至六月期間，在蘭嶼漁人部落的潮間帶海岸內共採集 6 科 25 種的螃蟹。根據訪談結果，每種螃蟹均有雅美族的稱呼，名稱的來源，9 種與螃蟹 的外觀有關，3 種源於對螃蟹行為的觀察，5 種具有正統、長壽、娶到好妻、詛咒、陷害等 象徵意義，8 種僅知其名，不知其意。雅美族採集螃蟹的地點集中在珊瑚礁岸，男女皆可採 集， 但以婦女較多，採集的地點、種類和時機常與信仰有關。 採到的螃蟹主要為食用，25 種蟹類中，有 19 種可食，但各種螃蟹因人的年齡、性別、懷孕與否、產後時間等而多有禁 忌或食用的順序。特別值得一提的是孕婦吃食螃蟹的信仰，在吃食各種螃蟹放置於同一盤的 過程中有一定的順序，依序是長趾方蟹、瘤突斜紋蟹、白紋方蟹、細紋方蟹，其他種類在最 後食用，並忌食肢體不完整的蟹類。

　　　　　After reviewing the ethnoecological literature about indigenous Yami People in the Botel Tobage Island, Taiwan, we studied the intertidal crab culture to explore the traditional relationships between Yami people and nature resources. We collected intertidal crabs and investigated the Yami culture of Iratay tribe in the Botal Tobage Island from January to June 1998. We collected 25 crab species which all have Yami names. Nine crab species have Yami names by their appearance, three species by behavior and five species by people's belief or worship. The Yami men and in most case women, collect intertidal crabs mainly in coral reef. The traditional belief often affects their collecting area, time and species. Among 25 crab species, 19 are edible which The Yami peoples have their rules or taboo according to human age, sex, pregnant or not, etc. Furthermore, when there are a plate of many cooked crab species, the pregnant women should follow the eating sequence by species and avoid to eat broken crabs.