Invertebrate
Not Evaluated
Anemone Porcelain Crab
Neopetrolisthes maculatus
Filter-feeding crab living among the tentacles of host anemones.
Family
Porcellanidae
Avg Size
2-3 cm
Habitat
It lives in association with several large sea anemone species, with each anemone usually hosting a single pair of crabs. The anemone's stinging tentacles shield the crabs from predators, and the pair will defend their host territorially.
Behaviour
Although it has sizeable claws, the crab does not use them to catch food but rather to fend off predators. It feeds instead by filtering the water column, sweeping plankton, algae, small crustaceans and other tiny organisms from the current with the long bristles on its mouthparts.
Where & When to See It
No dive-site records found for this species yet.