Cleanser crab vs Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe

Liocarcinus depurator compared with Liocarcinus holsatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cleanser crab	Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Malacostraca (Höhere Krebse)	Malacostraca (Höhere Krebse)
Order same	Decapoda (Zehnfußkrebse)	Decapoda (Zehnfußkrebse)
Family same	Polybiidae	Polybiidae
Genus same	Liocarcinus	Liocarcinus
Species	Liocarcinus depurator	Liocarcinus holsatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cleanser crab and Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Liocarcinus.

Conservation Status

Cleanser crab

LC — Least Concern

Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cleanser crab	Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cleanser crab

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Gemeine Schwimmkrabbe

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Cleanser crab

The Cleanser Crab is a common name used for various species of commensal or cleaner crabs that establish mutualistic cleaning relationships with larger marine animals such as fish, sea turtles, and invertebrates. These crabs remove parasites, dead tissue, and debris from the host organism's body surface, gills, and mouth, benefiting both the cleaner and its host. Cleaning behavior has evolved independently across multiple crab lineages, particularly among small xanthid, pinnotherid, and porcellanid crabs that live in close association with host organisms on coral reefs and rocky intertidal zones. Cleaner crabs are often found in tropical and subtropical marine environments, especially on coral reefs where complex ecological interactions and high biodiversity create numerous opportunities for symbiotic relationships. The physical structure of cleanser crabs typically features specialized mouthparts and chelipeds adapted for precise manipulation of external parasites and necrotic tissue. As with all reef-associated species, populations of cleaner crabs are sensitive to coral reef degradation driven by warming ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and overfishing. Specific conservation status depends on the species referred to under this common name.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden