Photo 382, (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda

Attribution © Ken-ichi Ueda
some rights reserved
Uploaded by kueda kueda
Source Flickr
Original http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/2510212905
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellow-spotted Guard Crab (Trapezia flavopunctata)

Observer

kueda

Date

May 19, 2008

Description

These are awesome. Almost every branched coral had at least one resident guard crab. This coral is Antler Coral (Trapezia flavopunctata), I think. Apparently the guard crabs feed on some particularly juicy bits the coral produces near the base of its antlers, and the crab defends the coral from predatory sea stars.

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Copyright

Ken-ichi Ueda