Neopetrolisthes maculatus

Neopetrolisthes maculatus, also commonly known as the Anemone Porcelain Crab, is a species of porcelain crab from the Indo-Pacific region. It is a small, colourful crustacean with a porcelain-like shell. It is usually found within the stinging tentacles of a number of sea anemone species.

Description

They have a round central body with a smooth surface. It shell is porcelain-like. They are colorful with numerous small red spots dotted across.

Ecology

It is usually found on a number of large sea anemone species with each anemone generally containing single pair of crabs. There the stinging tentacles would protect them from potential predators. They are territorial of their anemones.

Diet

Despite their large claws, they do no use them to capture food and likely use them to defend themselves from predation. Instead they are filter-feeders using long bristles on their mouthparts like a broom sweeping out of the water column organisms such as plankton, algae, small crustaceans and other small organisms.