Purple Porcelain Crab - Petrolisthes sp.

Purple Porcelain Crabs (Petrolisthes sp.) are rock dwellers. They will station themselves on rocks and filter feed on floating debris. They may also feed on invertebrate food such as marine snow or microvert.

Porcelain crabs are ornamental and reef safe but may rarely be seen. This is because they blend into the rocks easily and because it is a way to hide from predators. They will make excellent additions to any tank but will do best in smaller tanks when they will be able to be found easier.

These crabs are named "Porcelain Crabs" because of their apparent fragility. When threatened, Porcelain Crabs may break off a claw or legs in an attempt to distract and predator so the crab can escape. This is not uncommon and may also happen during transport, acclimation, or during the crab's normal molt. This does not affect the crab's health and the legs will grow back over time.