B-Swift ... The Anemone Crab

(Neopetrolisthes ohshimai)

Peacefull, and comedic!!


No...that's not a hat on his head. He's hosted with the Sabae Anemone. See, crab feeds the Anemone (sometimes), and in exchange, the anemone provide B-Swift with protection. How? Well, the anemone can pack quite a sting. And the crab is one of the few creatures that's immune to this sting (due to a coating on his body, much like the clowns). SO it's a win, win for everyone. Food for the anemone, protection for the crab.

B-Swift is the most calm creature in the tank. His every movement appears to be in slow motion. He just chills all day, around the anemone, catching food particles with his mits. He has these arms that extend, and it has all these feathery fingers on it. He opens it, like a catcher's mit, and holds it there for a while...waiting for tiny particles to get caught in it. Then he pulls it in, and eats them off.

He can also eat bigger things, like fish food, etc, but it pretty much has to land right in front of him, or come his way.

Here he is, parked behind a rock with his feeding mits extended. Once he's got a mouthful, he'll pull them in!

(Notice the algae growing on his claws. Proof of just how lazy and slow he is!)



He can get a *little* wound up at feeding time tough. Especially when that whole "wait for the food to come to me" approach isn't working.

When it is feeding time, wherever he's at, he'll just extend himself as much as possible, and hope to catch something.

Occassionally he'll get as close to frantic as he gets, and start waving his mostly useless claws around, but this is still in fairly slow motion.

When it doesn't he'll reach and reach just hoping to catch something tasty!


(I LOVE this shot)
When food DOES happen to land right in front of him, he's the happiest guy in the world.
(Look at the little guy going to town).


Swift never really bothers anyone in the tank. And in return, he truly seems to expect the same from others. Ocassionally, when that doesn't happen, he'll wave his claw at them to shoo them away, however since his movements are so darned slow, the fish is usually gone by the time he's extended his arm.

While his claws may look scary or dangerous, they really only serve as scrappers to pick at algae/detritius in the tank.

As soon as we got the Sabae Anemone, Swift ran right over to it, and hosted with it. Hosting is where a creature will feed or take care of another critter, in exchange for shelter or protection. It's a kind of symbiotic relationship.

Here he is with his new home, happy as can be.


It isn't pretty...but it is kind of funny in a way. See, Swift's waste products are
nutritious for the anemone. So here Swift is using his new friend...as a toilet.


Added to the tank on February 23rd, 2005 from Congressional Aquarium.


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Last updated 10/13/05