Hawaiian Pom Pom Crab

Image courtesy of Dawson

It's Election Day!  I'm sure everyone is cheering for their respective candidates tonight after voting today.  This week's Creature of the Week is the cheerleader of the ocean!  Well, maybe not, but it definitely had the equipment to be a cheerleader.  Our creature is the Hawaiian Pom Pom Crab.

The Hawaiian pom pom crab is native to Hawaiian waters, which you could guess from the name.  This crab is tiny, being about a half an inch wide and has coloration that features shades of pink, brown and yellow.  1   The legs of this crab are striped much like a candy cane. 1  The coloration allows it to blend in with the fine grain of sand that can be found in its preferred habitat, and that along with its size can make this crab hard to find. 1 

However, this crab is worth spotting due to its very unique feature.  These crabs, like the other pom-pom crabs, have a symbiotic relationship with species of tiny anemones. 1  It holds an anemone in each of its front claws and boxes, using the stinging organisms much like a weapon when the crab is threatened or to sting and collect prey. 1   Rah rah rah!

As stated before, these crabs prefer areas of fine sand substrate, among corals. 1  Pom pom crabs prefer waters that are shallower than 66 feet. 1 

Read more about this cheerleading crab at the links below:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lybia_edmondsoni