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Invertebrates |  |
Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Crustacea
Range: Caribbean
Size: 6 in. Space:: 100+ gal. Diet: Detritus, bristle worms, crustaceans
Reef Safe: Caution Care Level: Easy Temperament: Caution
Natural History: The Decorator Arrow Crab is a nocturnal resident of coral reefs, hiding by day beneath rocks and in crevices. At night it emerges to scavenge or prey on bristle worms, feather duster worms, or other crustacean species. The decorator arrow crab 'decorates' itself by picking up pieces of debris and sticking them to its body.
Husbandry: It will likely attack and eat other small crustaceans and may pick at mushroom corals and polyps of stony corals. It may feed on tube worms and bristle worms and eliminate them from an aquarium. It prefers rocky hiding places that serve as a retreat and it spends considerable time picking debris or small crustaceans from the substrate to feed. This species is territorial and it should be housed singly.