Neopetrolisthes maculatus, also commonly known as the anemone porcelain crab,[2] is a species of porcelain crab from the Indo-Pacific region.[3] 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.[1][4]
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.[5]
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.[4][6]
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.[6]
Gallery
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Neopetrolisthes maculatus at Wakatobi National Park, 2015 -
Close up of chelipeds of Neopetrolisthes maculatus, 2006 -
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Chelipeds of Neopetrolisthes maculatus at Anilao, Philippines, 2014 -
Neopetrolisthes maculatus pouncing on carpet anemone, 2004 -
Neopetrolisthes maculatus near Sorong, Indonesia, 2015
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References
- ^ a b Masayuki Osawa (2012). "Neopetrolisthes maculatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ "Anemone Porcelain Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ Masayuki Osawa & Patsy A. McLaughlin (2010). "Annotated checklist of anomuran decapod crustaceans of the world (exclusive of the Kiwaoidea and families Chirostylidae and Galatheidae of the Galatheoidea) Part II – Porcellanidae" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl. 23: 109–129. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-02.
- ^ a b Akira Asakura (2002). "The evolution of mating systems in decapod crustaceans" (PDF). In Joel W. Martin; Keith A. Crandall; Darryl L. Felder (eds.). Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics. CRC Press. pp. 121–182. ISBN 978-1-4200-9258-5.
- ^ "Neopetrolisthes maculatus - Porcelain crab - Lembeh Resort". www.lembehresort.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ^ a b "Creature Feature: Neopetrolisthes maculatus | Western Australian Museum". museum.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
External links
Media related to Neopetrolisthes maculatus at Wikimedia Commons- Photos of Neopetrolisthes maculatus in the Sealife Collection
