About Inachus phalangium (Fabricius, 1775)
Description: Large males of Inachus phalangium can reach a carapace size of 20.5 by 17.5 millimetres (0.8 in × 0.7 in), and have a brownish-yellow body color. The carapace narrows toward the front of the crab, and is often hidden by epibionts. I. phalangium is similar to its close relative Inachus dorsettensis, but has less prominent spines on its carapace. Distribution: Inachus phalangium occurs in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Norway in the north to West Africa and the Cape Verde islands in the south, and also extends into the Mediterranean Sea. It inhabits depths between 11 and 55 metres (40–180 ft). Ecology: Inachus phalangium lives commensally with the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata, commonly called the snakelocks anemone. The crab gets protection from potential predators by sheltering under the anemone’s stinging tentacles. It feeds on food particles dropped by the sea anemone, as well as mucus from the anemone’s surface.
