Trapeziidae

Trapeziidae is a family of small marine crabs, many of which live in close association with reef-building corals. Some species shelter among coral branches and defend their hosts from predators or competitors.

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Trapezia cymodoce: A coral-dwelling crab species in the family Trapeziidae. This species has been studied for defending its coral host from crown-of-thorns starfish.
Mutualism: An interaction between species in which both partners benefit. The coral–crab association is often described as mutualistic because crabs gain resources while corals gain services.
Decapoda: An order of crustaceans that includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp. Trapeziidae belongs to this larger group of ten-legged crustaceans.
Pinnotheridae: A family of small crabs, many of which live inside bivalves or other invertebrates. Like Trapeziidae, this family includes small symbiotic crabs, but its hosts and associations differ.
Acropora: A genus of reef-building corals that includes many branching species. Several Trapezia species occupy the branches of Acropora corals.
Coral guard crab: A coral-associated crab that defends its host from predators or competing organisms. This functional role describes how some Trapeziidae protect living coral colonies.
Brachyura: The infraorder of true crabs, characterized by a reduced abdomen folded beneath the thorax. Trapeziidae is a family within the true crabs.
Cryptochiridae: A family of crabs that live in galls or pits formed in coral skeletons. Cryptochiridae are coral associates like Trapeziidae, but their hosts provide more structurally enclosed dwellings.
Crown-of-thorns starfish: A large, coral-eating sea star that can cause extensive damage to reefs. Some Trapezia crabs attack this predator when it threatens their coral host.
Coral mucus: A secretion produced by corals that traps particles and contributes to feeding and surface protection. Coral mucus can provide food to crabs living on or within coral colonies.