Xeno Crab

Image: prilfish
Xenocarcinus tuberculatus

There's something incredibly creepy about the Xeno Crab... just LOOK at it!

Image: Nemo's great uncle

Smooth and shiny. Sharp and spiky.

Image: Stephen Childs

Cold, dead eyes like polished marble.

It looks like an alien. With a name like "Xeno Crab" it sounds like one, too. In fact, they remind me of those Warrior Bugs from Starship Troopers. Scarier though, because Xeno Crabs have the confidence to barely ever move. They're not like those stupid grunts who feel the need to run around all the time biting off people's limbs. That's just overcompensating.

Image: prilfish
Hanging out with a Whip Coral Shrimp.
Lots of camouflage here

Xeno Crabs grip tenaciously to Whip Corals with their long legs. They have four legs pointing forward and four pointing back, and they're long enough for the crab to completely surround the coral like a bracelet or facehugger.

Like other creatures who spend their lives clutching the scant branches of Whip and Wire Corals, the Xeno Crab comes in a wide variety of colours so as to disappear into the vibrancy of their host. The sheer range leads me to believe that they can change their colour over time to match. Such information appears to be above my security level, however.

Image: mcb165

Thus, many questions arise, each one bedecked with poisoned teeth and noxious breath. Is the Xeno Crab a mere tip of an iceberg hell-bent on destroying humanity? Are they the silent scouts of an entomomorphic attack force from outer space? Will the Xeno Crab rise up to TAKE OVER THE WORLD?!

Image: Nemo's great uncle

Probably not.