oyster crab
noun
a pea crab, Pinnotheres ostreum, the female of which lives as a commensal within the mantle cavity of oysters.
Origin of oyster crab
First recorded in 1750–60
Words nearby oyster crab
oyo,
oyster,
oyster bay,
oyster bed,
oyster cap,
oyster crab,
oyster cracker,
oyster farm,
oyster fork,
oyster mushroom,
oyster pink
Example sentences from the Web for oyster crab
The oyster-crab is a true messmate, and its presence in the oyster may be advantageous in helping to provide food for its host.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide |Augusta Foote Arnold
British Dictionary definitions for oyster crab
oyster crab
noun
any of several small soft-bodied crabs of the genus Pinnotheres, esp P. ostreum, that live as commensals in the mantles of oysters