Red Spotted Anemone Crab care guide
Red Spotted Anemone Crab (Petrolisthes galathinus) — minimum tank 60 L, temperature 24-26 °C, pH 8.1-8.4.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Red Spotted Anemone Crab (Petrolisthes galathinus) is a marine porcelain crab of the family Porcellanidae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as an intermediate-level species. Filter-feeding porcelain crab with feathery mouthparts. Often lives in association with anemones. Reef-safe and peaceful.
Taxonomy
- Family: Porcellanidae
- Genus: Petrolisthes
- Scientific name: Petrolisthes galathinus
- Common synonyms: Red Spotted Porcelain
Habitat
Porcelain crabs (family Porcellanidae) are anomuran crustaceans that resemble true crabs but are more closely related to squat lobsters. They use feathery mouth appendages to filter plankton from the water and many species live commensally among the tentacles of host anemones. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Caribbean.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L (15.9 US gal)
- Adult size: 2-3 cm
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- KH: 8-12 °dKH
- Salinity (specific gravity): 1.024-1.026
- Lifespan: 2-4 years
Diet
The species is a filter feeder, sweeping plankton and suspended particles from the water with feathery mouthparts; in aquaria its diet is supplemented with finely powdered or liquid planktonic foods, and it also gleans detritus.
Compatibility
The Aquairi knowledge base lists this species as peaceful. Suitable tank mates include Anemones, Reef fish. It should be kept away from Aggressive fish. It associates with host anemones or corals for shelter and is generally reef-safe.
Breeding
Breeding requires an extended planktonic larval stage in open water before the young settle, which makes captive reproduction very difficult and rarely accomplished in home aquaria. Most specimens in the hobby are wild-collected.
Breeding the Red Spotted Porcelain Crab (Petrolisthes galathinus)
Overview
Petrolisthes galathinus is a porcelain crab of the family Porcellanidae. Like other porcelain crabs it is a filter feeder, combing plankton and organic particles from the water using long feathery setae on its mouthparts, while its large claws serve territorial defense rather than catching food. It is often associated with anemones and rockwork in the Caribbean.
Sexing
In porcelain crabs the sexes are most reliably distinguished by abdominal shape and the presence of a brooded egg mass on females. A receptive female carries her eggs as a 'sponge' held between the abdomen and the body, which makes gravid females identifiable on inspection.
Conditioning
Strong, steady current carrying fine planktonic and particulate food keeps these filter feeders in condition. There is no documented protocol that reliably induces or completes reproduction in a home reef, because the planktonic larval stage cannot be supported in a display.
Breeding Setup
No practical home breeding setup exists. In anomuran crabs the pair press their ventral surfaces together and release eggs and spermatophores simultaneously; the female then broods the egg sponge until hatching. The resulting larvae are planktonic and require open-water rearing conditions.
Spawning & Larvae
Eggs hatch into a zoea armed with a long rostral spine and shorter posterior spines that drifts in the plankton, molts to a second zoeal stage, and then becomes a postlarval megalopa before settling. Brood size in this group is modest and scales with body size. The obligatory planktonic phase makes captive rearing impractical.
Common Challenges
- Tiny zoea larvae are removed by filtration and skimming.
- Larvae need continuous fine planktonic food through multiple molts.
- Porcelain crabs readily autotomize limbs when stressed during handling.
- Adults are fragile and easily damaged.