It is found on the coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea Porcellana platycheles may attain a length of 15 millimetres (0.59 in).

[3] The body is flattened and the legs end in sharp claws, which are used to grip the underside of the rocks they live under.

[3] Porcellana platycheles are found beneath rocks and boulders on rocky coasts.

[3] It is a filter-feeding crab, using specially adapted hairs on its mouthparts to filter plankton from the water[4] and it feeds on carrion and other organic debris.

[6] This crab needs a habitat with organic matter and has a preference for more sheltered shores, particularly where there has been material deposited among the rocks.