Crab
Arrow Crab
Stenorhynchus seticornis
The Arrow Crab looks like a tiny spider made of sticks. Its body is a small triangle with a long, sharp point on the…
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Invertebrates in the Species Guide
26 species guides
Snail
Astrea Snail
Lithopoma sp.
The astrea snail is a small snail with a shell shaped like a cone or a little pyramid.
Sea cucumber
Atlantic Sea Cucumber
Holothuria sp.
A sea cucumber is a soft, slow animal shaped like a fat sausage. It is a cousin of starfish and sea urchins.
Snail
Banded Trochus Snail
Trochus sp.
The banded trochus is a small snail with a shell shaped like a pointy party hat.
Shrimp
Blood Red Fire Shrimp
Lysmata debelius
The Blood Red Fire Shrimp is one of the reddest animals on the reef. Its body is deep red, like a ripe cherry.
Hermit crab
Blue Leg Hermit Crab
Clibanarius tricolor
The blue leg hermit crab is a tiny crab with bright blue legs.
Snail
Chestnut Turbo Snail
Turbo castanea
The chestnut turbo snail is a small sea snail with a round, bumpy shell.
Crab
Decorator Crab
Macrocoeloma sp.
A decorator crab is a small crab that dresses up. Its back has tiny hooks, a bit like Velcro.
Crab
Emerald Crab
Mithraculus sculptus
The Emerald Crab is a small crab that is shiny green, like a jewel.
Snail
Humped Conch
Gibberulus sp.
The humped conch is a small sea snail from the warm Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Starfish
Knobby Starfish
Echinaster (Othilia) echinophorus
The knobby starfish is a small sea star. It is bright red or orange. It has five fat arms with round tips.
Snail
Nassarius Snail
Phrontis vibex
The nassarius snail is a small snail. It is about as long as your fingernail. It lives buried in the sand.
Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Lysmata wurdemanni
The Peppermint Shrimp looks like a piece of peppermint candy. Its body is almost clear, with thin red stripes.
Urchin
Pincushion Urchin
Lytechinus variegatus
The pincushion urchin is a round sea urchin covered in short spines. It looks like a pincushion full of pins.
Crab
Pitho Crab
Pitho mirabilis
The Pitho Crab is a small, quiet crab from the warm seas of the Caribbean. Its shell is about the size of a coin.
Starfish
Red Fromia Starfish
Fromia milleporella
The red Fromia starfish is a small, bright red sea star with five arms. Its back is covered in tiny bumps.
Urchin
Rock Urchin
Echinometra lucunter
The rock urchin is a small sea urchin from Florida and the Caribbean. Its body is shaped like a flat egg, not a ball.
Starfish
Sand Sifting Starfish
Astropecten polyacanthus
The sand sifting starfish is a flat sea star with five pointy arms and a row of sharp spines along the edges, like the…
Shrimp
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
The Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is a small shrimp with a stripe down its back, just like a skunk.
Snail
Stocky Cerith Snail
Cerithium litteratum
The stocky cerith is a small snail with a pointy shell shaped like a cone.
Snail
Turbo Snail
Turbo fluctuosus
The turbo snail is a big, slow snail with a round shell shaped like a turban, the kind of hat some people wrap around…
Urchin
Tuxedo Urchin
Mespilia globulus
The tuxedo urchin is a small, round sea urchin. It is about the size of a golf ball. It has rows of short, dark spines.