Porcelain Anemone Crab

Quick facts

Handling caution: None; large claws are for defense only and it is not venomous.

Identity

Also known as

Porcelain Crab; Anemone Crab

Synonyms

Neopetrolisthes ohshimai (often sold interchangeably)

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific, East Africa, Indian Ocean, Japan, Australia

Habitat

Shallow tropical coral reefs, living in obligate association with large sea anemones at depths of roughly 3 to 20 meters.

Sourcing

Wild-caught

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

0.5 – 3 in (1.3 – 7.6 cm)

Lifespan

2 – 4 yrs

Min tank

10 gal (38 L)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Rock & glass

Water

Temperature

72 – 79 °F (22 – 26 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.026 SG

Flow

Moderate

Behavior & compatibility

Social

Pair · groups of 2+

Aggression to own kind

High

Active

Daytime

Reef safe

Yes

Invert safe

Yes

Shrimp safe

With caution

Clean-up role

Detritus

Population boom risk

Low

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Planktivore

Foods

Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Frozen, Live, Micro-pellets

Breeding type

Broadcast spawner

Breeding difficulty

Not bred in captivity

Sexing

Not externally distinguishable by casual observation; females are typically seen carrying orange egg masses under the abdominal flap when berried.

Target feeding

Required

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Care guide

Overview

Filters the water with two feathery fan-like claws, sweeping plankton and fine particles toward its mouth while perched motionless atop a host anemone. Cream-and-orange mottled and rarely more than a couple of inches across, it depends on stinging tentacles for defense rather than fighting. Best suited to a mature, low-flow-tolerant reef with stable chemistry and regular target feeding.

Care

This crab spends nearly its entire life perched on a host anemone, relying on the stinging tentacles for protection rather than defending itself. A mature reef tank with stable, pristine water quality and gentle to moderate flow to deliver food particles suits it best. Copper-based medications must never be used since they are lethal to all crustaceans, and sudden salinity swings during water changes should be avoided.

Feeding

In the wild and in well-stocked reef systems it filters passing plankton and fine particulate matter from the water using its two feathery fan appendages. Home aquariums rarely produce enough drifting food on their own, so regular target feeding of phytoplankton, zooplankton, or fine frozen and powdered foods released near the fans is usually necessary. It will also pick up mucus and leftover food from around its host anemone.

Tank mates

It is peaceful toward fish and corals but intolerant of other porcelain crabs of the same sex sharing its anemone, sometimes fighting to the death over territory. Clownfish that attempt to claim the same anemone are usually tolerated after a brief standoff, with the clownfish typically winning any dispute. Predatory fish known to eat crustaceans, such as wrasses, hawkfish, and puffers, should be avoided as tankmates.

Breeding

Females carry visible orange egg clutches beneath the abdomen before releasing planktonic larvae into the water column. These larvae almost never survive to settlement in a closed aquarium system due to the lack of appropriate plankton and current conditions. Because of this, the species is essentially never bred to maturity in home aquariums and stock is collected from the wild.

Health

Autotomy, the shedding of a claw or leg when stressed or grabbed, can occur but the limb is usually regenerated over subsequent molts. Molting failures linked to iodine or trace element deficiency are a recognized risk, so dosing iodine and trace elements in a reef system is worthwhile. Rapid shifts in salinity or temperature during water changes should be minimized since this crab is sensitive to abrupt parameter swings.

Sources

1. Porcelain Anemone Crab (Neopetrolisthes sp.) – Little Shop of Coral
2. Porcelain Anemone Crab Aquarium Care | Atlarium
3. Neopetrolisthes maculatus – Anemone Porcelain Crab – AquaInfo
4. Porcelain anemone crab care: tank size and tank mates · TankBud