#cheerleader crab

The Lybia crab is a species of small crab in the family Xanthidae. It is also referred to as Hawaiian boxer crab, pom-pom crab, cheerleader crab, mosaic boxer crab among many other nicknames. The crabs are known for their signature move of always carrying a small living sea anemone around in each of its claws. 

By waving sea anemone into different routines its dances its way to a free meal, gathering debris and food particles from the ground around the crab’s hiding place. 

If provoked or attacked by a predator, the pom-pom crab (boxing crab) will threaten the aggressor and try to deter it by waving it’s anemones around, the tentacles of which are well armed with cnidocytes (stinging cells). Video