Caribbean Porcelain Crab

Porcelain crabs get lumped in with true crabs by common name only — taxonomically they're actually closer kin to hermit crabs and squat lobsters, and you can see the family resemblance in the flattened, fan-shaped mouthparts it sweeps through the current to filter out passing particulates instead of grabbing food with its claws. Grab one the wrong way and it'll drop that claw entirely and scuttle off, a defense called autotomy that costs it a limb but buys its life; the claw grows back over successive molts.

Care level: Easy · Temperament: Peaceful · Max size: ~1.5" · Min tank: 10 gal, good flow · Reef safe: Yes · Diet: Filter feeder, suspended particulates