Guide category
Saltwater Invertebrates Guides
Read marine shrimp, crab, snail, and anemone profiles covering aquarium setup, feeding, and compatibility. Use the guides to compare species needs, care considerations, and limits before adding invertebrates to a saltwater aquarium.
Saltwater Invertebrates reference library
Invertebrate
Blue Leg Hermit Crab
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs graze and scavenge, but may fight other hermits or kill snails for food or shells.
Invertebrate
Cleaner Shrimp
This guide covers Lysmata amboinensis, a colorful reef shrimp known for setting up cleaning stations where willing fish allow it to remove mucus, dead tissue, and some external material. In aquariums it is also an active scavenger and a highly visible display animal.
Invertebrate
Peppermint Shrimp
A small, mostly nocturnal reef shrimp valued as a scavenger. Aiptasia consumption varies with species and individual shrimp. Confirm identification and provide supplemental food; tank conditions and available foods also affect results.
Invertebrate
Trochus Snail
A cone-shelled reef snail widely used in cleanup crews. It moves across glass and rock, scraping film algae and diatoms with its radula, and many commonly sold trochus can right themselves after falling.
Invertebrate
Bubble Tip Anemone
Bubble Tip Anemones need suitable lighting, stable conditions, guarded intakes and monitoring of feeding and attachment. Entacmaea quadricolor contains photosynthetic symbiotic algae; offer small marine-origin foods.
Invertebrate
Emerald Crab
Emerald crabs (Mithraculus sculptus) are marine crabs often kept to graze bubble algae. They also need supplemental food and shelter, and grazing varies; protect vulnerable corals and monitor small tankmates rather than relying on guaranteed control.
Invertebrate
Fighting Conch
Fighting conchs are marine snails that forage across sandy substrate. This guide covers the western Atlantic Florida-trade animal; confirm identification because other conchs and predatory whelks can have different care needs.
Invertebrate
Nassarius Snail
Nassarius snails are marine scavengers that burrow in sand and need accessible substrate and supplemental meaty foods. This guide applies to Phrontis vibex; confirm the species because other snails sold under the Nassarius name may differ.
Invertebrate
Pistol Shrimp
Pistol shrimp are snapping shrimp that excavate and use sheltered burrows; some are kept with gobies. This guide covers Alpheus bellulus and Alpheus randalli, so confirm the shrimp and intended goby before planning a pairing.
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