About Rust-spotted Guard Crab
Guard crab — lives commensally inside branching corals (Pocillopora, Acropora) and defends its host from coral predators. A natural pairing for SPS-focused tanks, where its presence actively protects the coral.
Trapezia rufopunctata is a species of guard crabs in the family Trapeziidae.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Small flattened crab with reddish spots on a pale carapace. Lives commensally inside branching corals (Pocillopora, Acropora).
In your tank. Defends its host coral from coral predators (Drupella snails, certain sea stars). A natural pairing for SPS-focused tanks where the crab actively protects the coral.
Care notes. Reef-safe and peaceful. Will not harm the host coral — relationship is mutualistic.
Sourcing and feeding. Wild-collected from Indo-Pacific reefs, often shipped with branching coral frags ($10–20). Omnivore — leftover meaty bits, debris from the host coral.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related invertebrates
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 210187).
- Description content adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: (c) desertnaturalist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).