How much do marine invertebrates cost in the UK?

Clean-up crew snails and hermit crabs start at about £7-£15, with starfish, urchins and specialist inverts running £30-£70, and premium anemones much higher. A starter clean-up crew of hardy snails and crabs is the affordable way in. Prices on this page are live: what you see is what's in stock today.

Are marine invertebrates sensitive to water quality?

Very — more so than most fish. Marine inverts are extremely intolerant of copper (found in many fish medications) and of unstable salinity, so they must go into a mature, stable system and you must check that any treatment is invert-safe. Get the water right and they are hardy and long-lived.

Which invertebrates are best for a new reef?

Start with hardy grazers — turbo and trochus snails, nassarius snails for the sand bed, and a few hermit crabs. These establish the clean-up crew and handle early algae. Leave anemones and more delicate echinoderms until the tank is well established and chemically stable.

Do cleaner shrimp and crabs get on with fish?

Mostly yes — cleaner shrimp are famously peaceful and even service fish by picking parasites. Hermit crabs are generally reef-safe grazers, though some larger species will attack snails for their shells, so provide spare shells. Always check a species' reef-safe status before adding it to a stocked tank.

Is it safe to buy marine invertebrates online?

Yes, with careful acclimatisation. Each animal ships in oxygen-charged bags inside a polystyrene-insulated box, handed to a licensed live-animal courier, dispatched Tuesday-Wednesday so it never sits over a weekend. Every delivery is covered by our photo-proof live arrival guarantee — drip-acclimatise slowly on arrival.

Marine Invertebrates for Sale UK

Marine invertebrates for sale UK — saltwater shrimps, hermit crabs, sea urchins, starfish, anemones, feather dusters. Reef cleanup crews.

36 products available

Every marine invertebrate on this page is a live animal held in our own system before dispatch — not a stock photo. We stock cleaner and hermit crabs, turbo and nassarius snails, starfish, sea urchins, anemones and more, with new imports landing regularly.

Marine inverts ship in oxygen-charged bags inside an insulated box, dispatched Tuesday or Wednesday with a licensed live-animal courier so your animals never sit over a weekend. Every order carries our live arrival guarantee: photograph any problem in the unopened bag within 2 hours and we refund or replace.

Marine invertebrates are the reef's clean-up crew and living jewellery — snails and crabs that graze algae and sift sand, plus anemones and echinoderms for the display. They are sensitive to water quality and copper, so a stable, mature reef system is essential. Research each animal before ordering.

Current delivery and offer information

Follow each link for the latest terms before ordering.

Arrival guaranteeLive Arrival GuaranteeRead the current claim and evidence terms.Specialist deliverySpecialist live-animal deliverySee current price, postcode coverage and dispatch information.First-order offerCurrent first-order offerCheck the offers page for active terms.36 in stock36 in stockBrowse the current in-stock catalogue.

Browse all 36 Marine Invertebrates

Explore related categories

Visual route into our wider UK live-fish range.

Tetras

Premium Tetras for sale UK — Cardinal, Ember, Black Neon, Rummy Nose, Serpae, Diamond, Glowlight and more. Peaceful community schoolers.

African Cichlids

African cichlids for sale UK — Malawi Mbuna, Peacocks, Haps, Tanganyika Tropheus, Frontosa and shell dwellers. Licensed live-animal courier.

South American Cichlids

South American Cichlids for sale UK — Apistogramma, Rams, Oscars, Severums, Geophagus, Pikes, Discus and Angelfish.

Catfish & Plecos

Aquarium catfish and plecos for sale UK — Corydoras, Bristlenose, L-number rare plecos, Synodontis, Farlowella, Otocinclus.

Livebearers

Livebearer fish for sale UK — Guppies, Mollies, Platies, Swordtails, Endlers, Limias. Easy-breeding community favourites.

Gouramis & Labyrinth Fish

Gouramis and labyrinth fish for sale UK — Pearl, Dwarf, Honey, Kissing, Giant and rare species. Peaceful surface-breathers.

Rasboras & Danios

Rasboras and Danios for sale UK — Harlequin, Chili, Galaxy, Zebra, Pearl, Celestial. Peaceful nano schoolers, perfect for planted tanks.

Barbs

Aquarium barbs for sale UK — Cherry, Tiger, Rosy, Denison, Gold, Odessa. Hardy community fish, perfect for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

A clean-up crew of snails, hermit crabs and other grazers keeps a reef tank tidy — eating algae off rock and glass, sifting detritus from the sand and consuming leftover food. They are a working part of the system's biology, not just decoration, and reduce the algae and waste that would otherwise build up.

Shop related

Buying guides

Tropical Fish for Sale UK — all species