Fire Crab

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

The Fire Crab is a large, tortoise-like crab creature native to the island of Fiji. It has six legs, and a heavily jewelled shell, with different colours. It is able to defend itself by shooting flames from its rear end when it is attacked.^[1] The Fire Crab is a protected species, and a reservation has been created to protect this species from Muggles, who would value the jewelled shell, and wizards who use the shells as cauldrons. Fire Crabs are sold and exported as pets, but the owners require a special licence. The Ministry of Magic states that a competent wizard should be able to cope with this animal.^[3] Fifth years, for their Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L., had to demonstrate how to feed and clean out a Fire Crab cage without sustaining serious burns.^[4]

Different fire crab variants exist, which can be identified by the jewels in their shells. Noted variants include shells fitted with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.^[5] Rubeus Hagrid was somehow able to get Fire Crabs and Manticores to mate, creating the hybrid Blast-Ended Skrewts.^[6]

According to Liz Tuttle, Fijian wizards sometimes used fire crabs to power the cooking pits during their luau feasts.^[7]

Behind the scenes

• Despite being a protected species, fire crabs appear as enemies that can be killed in many Harry Potter video games. Therefore, their role as such is likely not canon.
• In the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets GBA and PC video games based on the series, the player must hit a fire crab with Rictusempra to knock it over, then cast Flipendo to push it into a pit. It will then either cease its attacks on you^[8] or be unable to attack you.^[9]

  

  • In the PC versions Fire Crabs can be encountered in the Forbidden Forest, Diffindo challenge or in certain areas of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
  • In the PC version of Philosopher's Stone, Harry encounters a "Fire Turtle" in the Fire Seed Caves in the Forbidden Forest. The "Fire Turtle" appears to be an early version of the Fire Crab. Its look is likely due to the "first-time creation."
  • In the GBA version of Chamber of Secrets, a fire crab is a Vaults Guardian at Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
• In the GameCube version of Chamber of Secrets, Incendio can be cast at a flipped over Fire Crab to kill it.

• In the Prisoner of Azkaban game, it can be knocked over with Rictusempra and pushed with Rictusempra.
• In the GBA version of Goblet of Fire, they have to be splashed with water on their rear end.
• In the DS, PSP and IOS versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, fire crabs are an enemy that can't be killed, but can be stunned using Stupefy. They also appear in the following game.
• In Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World, a warning poster from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, warning of the danger of approaching behind a fire crab,^[10] is shown.

See also

• Blast-Ended Skrewt

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (GBA version only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS/PSP/IOS version only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (DS/IOS version only)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Notes and references

Care of Magical Creatures
Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts
Hagrid's Hut · Forbidden Forest · Care of Magical Creatures classroom · Magical Creatures (club)
Professors	Silvanus Kettleburn · Rubeus Hagrid · Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank (substitute teacher)
Textbooks	The Monster Book of Monsters · Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Creatures studied at Hogwarts
Blast-Ended Skrewt · Bowtruckle · Crup · Fire Crab · Flobberworm · Hippogriff · Knarl · Kneazle · Murtlap · Niffler · Porlock · Fire Dwelling Salamander · Streeler · Thestral · Unicorn