Porcelain Anemone Crab

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 1"
• Diet: Carnivore   • Aquarium Level: Substrate & Rocks   • Minimum Tank Size: 12 gallons
 • Reef Compatible: Yes   • Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
• Supplements: Calcium, Iodine, Trace elements   • Coloration: White, Tan
• Origin: Indo-Pacific • Family: Porcellanidae   • Species: Crabs

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The Porcelain Anemone Crab is a creamy white color with reddish brown spots and/or blotches of red or brown. They have very large front claws, which they use to as a form of protection to fend off potential predators. They are a peaceful species that make a wonderful addition to any reef or invertebrate aquarium, especially if anemones are present.

While Porcelain Crabs are very small in stature, they provide a very beneficial service to anemones and reef aquariums alike. Porcelain Crabs scavenge for excess meaty foods and both keep them from spoiling the water and provide a secondary food source for anemones that through their symbiotic relationship with the Porcelain Crab receive the leftover morsels.

Porcelain Anemone Crabs typically live together in pairs under the protection of an anemone. Porcelain Anemone Crabs may attempt to defend their territory from clownfish that try to establish themselves among the anemone, although they are not very aggressive and the clownfish will generally prevail.

It is however possible to keep both Porcelain Anemone Crabs and clownfish together in the same anemone, providing that the anemone is of a large size. Porcelain Anemone Crabs are generally aggressive toward other similarly sized crabs, and should not be kept with larger, aggressive crabs, which may attack it.

Porcelain Anemone Crabs eat planktonic food and mucus from the host anemone. It may be supplemented with meaty tablet foods placed next to the anemone. The Porcelain Anemone Crab is a carnivore and generally only eats meaty foods.