The pea crab, Pinnotheres pisum, is a small crab in the family Pinnotheridae that lives as a parasite in oysters, clams, mussels, and other species of bivalves. [2] Pea crabs are small crustaceans about the size of a pea or dime, with a "smooth dorsal surface of the carapace, or upper exoskeleton". [3] .

Dec 9, 2021 · Pea crabs are soft-shelled crabs that take residence inside bivalves such as oysters and mussels. As you might have surmised, they're a type of parasite, one called kleptoparasites , which steal food from their hosts in order to live.

Pea crabs (Pinnotheres ostreum) or oyster crabs (Zaops ostreus) are small soft-bodied crabs that live in bivalves such as oysters and mussels. They are kleptoparasites, which means they steal food from their host to survive.

pea crab, any member of a genus (Pinnotheres) of crabs (order Decapoda) living in the mantle cavity of certain bivalve mollusks, echinoderms, and polychaetes as a commensal (i.e., on or in another animal host but not deriving nourishment from it).

For many oyster lovers the thrill of finding the elusive, tiny, pea crabs cohabitating with their beloved bivalve is the pinnacle of eating oysters and many consider it more desirable than the much requited pearl. After all, you can’t eat a pearl and rarely are they found in multiples.

The pea crab is a small, parasitic pea-sized crab that’s most content living inside its bivalve host. Nick Baker explains more

Pea crabs (Pinnotheres Ostreum) or oyster crabs (Zaops ostreus) are soft bodied crabs that live in bivalves like oysters and mussels. They’re kleptoparasites meaning they seal food from hosts to survive. Both varieties behave similarly and are generally referred to as pea crabs.

Pea Crab Facts. First of all, the truly amazing crustacean commonly known as the Pea Crab holds a remarkable distinction. This holds true because the tiny creature remains the smallest known species of crab in the entire world. In fact, its name derives from its similarity to a pea in size.

Mar 30, 2016 · A freshly roasted oyster—and pea crab. And if you toss that crab aside, you’ll miss out on a sweet, crunchy treat. Edible raw or cooked, they deserve better than a flick into obscurity.

Mar 14, 2018 · I soon learned that the little edible creatures are called pea crabs, or sometimes oyster crabs. They enter the oysters (and sometimes other mollusks, like mussels, scallops, and clams) as larvae and then grow to maturity inside their host.