Crustaceans · Porcellanidae
Neopetrolisthes maculatus
Porcelain anemone crab
Small white porcelain crab dotted with red spots, living in pairs in large Indo-Pacific sea anemones. It does not hunt with its large flat claws: it filters plankton with fans of setae on its mouthparts.
- intermediate level
- Adult size
- ≤ 3.2 cm
What it needs
Water parameters
- Temperature°C
- SalinitySG
- pH
Day to day
Care and feeding
- LevelIntermediate
- FoodFilter Feeder
Care
Acclimation: drip-acclimate it (one to two drops per second) until the salinity in the bucket matches the tank.
Host: in the wild it lives on large anemones that protect it; its colour can vary with the anemone it lives with. It can also shelter in crevices and among coral branches.
Tankmates: it is found in pairs, one pair per anemone; it defends its anemone against its own kind.
Sensitivities: it does not tolerate copper treatments. Water: 22 to 25.5 °C, specific gravity 1.023 to 1.025, pH 8.1 to 8.4, alkalinity 8 to 12 dKH.
Feeding
It is a filter feeder: it does not use its claws to feed but sweeps the water with the long setae of its mouthparts to catch plankton, algae, small crustaceans and other small organisms. It also eats its anemone's mucus, without depending on it.
In the aquarium it accepts live and frozen food; Quality Marine also describes it as an opportunistic scavenger eating detritus and algae. No source consulted gives a feeding frequency.
Decor
- A large host anemone
- Rockwork with crevices for shelter
Tank mates
Compatibility
Goes well with
- Large carpet anemones such as Stichodactyla mertensii: its hosts in the wild
- Its partner: one pair per anemone
Avoid
- Other Neopetrolisthes beyond one pair per anemone: it defends its territory
- Copper-based treatments
In detail
Description
Identification: round, smooth carapace with a porcelain look, white to cream with many small red spots; broad, flattened claws. It reaches about 3 cm (Quality Marine lists up to 3.2 cm). Despite appearances it is not a true crab but an anomuran, related to squat lobsters. The name Neopetrolisthes ohshimai, still widely used in the trade, is a synonym (WoRMS).
In the wild it lives at about 1 to 10 m on several large sea anemones, including Stichodactyla mertensii, whose stinging tentacles protect it from predators. Each anemone usually holds a single pair, which defends its territory. It feeds on plankton, algae and small organisms swept from the water, and also eats its host's mucus without depending on it.
Reproduction: no source consulted describes its reproduction or captive breeding.
Status: the species has not been evaluated by the IUCN and is not listed by CITES.
Characteristics
- Round, smooth white carapace covered in small red spots.
- About 3 cm.
- Filter feeder: catches plankton with fans of setae, not with its claws.
- Lives in pairs on large anemones (including Stichodactyla mertensii).
- Defends its anemone against its own kind.
- Neopetrolisthes ohshimai, the trade name, is a synonym.
Origin
- Indo-Pacific
Distribution
- Indo-Pacific (recorded in particular from Indonesia and the Philippines)
- About 1 to 10 m
Status
Conservation
Not evaluated (NE)
WoRMS
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Order
- Decapoda
- Family
- Porcellanidae
- Genus
- Neopetrolisthes
- Species
Where this comes from
Sources
- WoRMSWoRMS — Neopetrolisthes maculatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) (AphiaID 217271) (opens in a new tab) · accessed on November 11, 2026
- WebWoRMS — Neopetrolisthes ohshimai Miyake, 1937 (junior subjective synonym of N. maculatus, AphiaID 492757) (opens in a new tab) · accessed on November 11, 2026
- WebGBIF — vernacular names of Neopetrolisthes maculatus (Catalogue of Life, ITIS) (opens in a new tab) · accessed on November 11, 2026
- WebSeaLifeBase — Neopetrolisthes maculatus (species summary) (opens in a new tab) · accessed on November 11, 2026
Related species
Other crustaceans
Left-handed hermit crab
Calcinus laevimanus
Harlequin shrimp
Hymenocera picta
