Decorator crab
Camposcia retusa
- Scientific name
- Camposcia retusa
- Group
- Crustaceans
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The decorator crab covers its shell with sponges, algae, and coral fragments that it attaches itself using tiny hooks, making it nearly invisible against the reef backdrop. This custom-made camouflage has to be rebuilt every time the crab molts.
What defines this group — Crustaceans
Armoured arthropods: crabs, shrimp and lobsters, all built around an external shell.
- The skeleton is on the outside; growing means shedding it — the moult.
- Jointed legs in pairs, often reshaped into claws or antennae.
- The larvae drift with the plankton in open water before settling on the bottom.
Other species in this group
- Common hermit crab
- Green shore crab
- Caribbean spiny lobster
- Skunk cleaner shrimp
- Spinous spider crab
- Common prawn