Seven-Eleven Crab.
Named for the seven large red spots on its cream-colored shell. A powerful snail-cracker that becomes toxic from the food it eats.
The seven-eleven crab is one of the most recognizable crabs on Hawaiian reefs, named for the seven dark red spots on its smooth, cream-colored carapace. The pattern is so consistent that even small juveniles wear the same markings.
These crabs are powerful snail-crackers, with massive claws that can shatter the shells of cone snails, cowries and turban snails. Some of the toxins from those snails accumulate in the crab's tissues, and seven-eleven crabs are considered unsafe to eat in many parts of the Pacific.
By day they shelter under boulders and inside reef crevices. At night they roam widely, using sensitive antennae to track prey by scent.
More species in this group.
Day Octopus
A daytime hunter and master shapeshifter, Hawaiʻi's most commonly seen octopus can change color and texture in under a second.
Chambered Nautilus
A living fossil whose ancestors swam alongside dinosaurs, the nautilus drifts through deep reefs in a perfect spiral shell.
Hawaiian Bobtail Squid
A thumb-sized squid that hides in plain sight using bioluminescent bacteria to erase its own shadow under the moon.
Textile Cone Snail
A beautiful but dangerous predator that fires a venomous harpoon to paralyze fish — and whose toxins inspire modern medicine.