The eyestalks are robust, not very long, dilated at the tip and alternately streaked with red and white.

These crabs show the striking behavior of living within empty shells of conches (usually shells of Bittium latreillii[5]), often decorated with sea anemones (usually Calliactis parasitica).

The larvae have a symmetrical shape, but gradually they develop an asymmetrical abdomen that this crustacean will hide in a periodically replaced shell.

It feeds on decaying matter, on live crabs and small fishes.

It usually lives on sandy substrate, on coastal detritic bottoms and on bathyal muds, from a few meters up to depths of 750 metres (2,460 ft).