Thickclaw Porcelain Crab

Image: Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory

Because sometimes what you really need is one, massive claw.

Image: Robin Agarwal

The Thickclaw Porcelain Crab is a Porcelain Crab with one, great, big, thick claw. Plus one normal one.

You might remember that Porcelain Crabs aren't proper crabs at all. They're actually more closely related to Squat Lobsters (which aren't really lobsters). That's why they have two long antennae, which proper crabs don't, and appear to walk around on only six legs because the final pair are miniaturized and hidden away.

Image: Alison Young

Thickclaw Porcelain Crabs are really tiny. Their main body is just 2 cm (0.8 in) across at most...

Image: Scott Loarie

And their mightiest claw appears to be about the same size!

Most Porcelain Crabs are filter feeders and seem to only use their claws to fight with other Porcelain Crabs.

Image: Donna Pomeroy

Presumably that's also the case with Thickclaw variety. Both males and females are armed with a mega-claw and they can sometimes be found living in pairs, nestled together in holes or rocky crevices on the coast between Alaska and California.

Image: Donna Pomeroy

Armed but not dangerous.