Scenes from a BioCube 8 (Part 6)
Pictured here is our pal Boxer Crab. He has lived in the BioCube 8 for almost a full year now. In that time he (she?) has molted about 6 times that we’ve noticed. We keep a collection of these molts on the kitchen window sill so we can track his growth (maybe 50% larger, but now probably full grown).
The boxer crab (Lybia tesselata) is aptly named because it carries around two tiny anemones (Bunodeopsis sp.) on it’s front claws. It wields these anemones in a boxer’s pose when threatened. It will also use the anemones to drag across the substrate, using the anemones as little “food magnets”. Any food item touched will adhere to the anemones’ stinging nematocysts. This association between boxer crab and the anemones is a classic case of symbiotic mutualism, where both animals benefit from their association.
Click here to read more about both the natural history and aquarium care of boxer crabs…
