Red Coral Crab

Trapezia cymodoce

A coral crab of the family Trapeziidae. Size to 1.5 cm (5/8 in.). Shades of orange with yellow, occasionally carapace is darker with two rows of yellow dots. Four rounded lobes between eyes. Left inner carpus has six spines, the right carpus has seven.

Commensal with branching corals, use claws to ward off coral predators. Distribution: Indo-Pacific, also Japan.