Fire Crabs

A Fire Crab is a magical beast native to Fiji that strongly resembles a large tortoise with a heavily jewelled shell. Despite their valuable shells, they are a protected species due to their dangerous defensive capabilities and require a special license to export. The Ministry of Magic gives them a classification of XXX, meaning a competent wizard should be able to cope with one.

Fire Crabs are primarily distinguished by their shells, which are encrusted with various large jewels, making them highly valuable and attractive to Muggles. This has led to the establishment of a reservation in Fiji to protect both the crabs and unsuspecting Muggles who might approach them. Their primary and most dangerous feature is their defense mechanism. When threatened, a Fire Crab shoots flames from its rear end. This fiery discharge serves as a powerful deterrent to predators and anyone attempting to poach them for their shells. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

The most significant use of Fire Crabs in the wizarding world comes from their shells. Once the shell is properly treated and dried, it can be used as a handsome and valuable cauldron. Due to the danger they pose and the value of their shells, the trade of Fire Crabs and their parts is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Fire Crabs are a known subject within the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

• During the 1994-1995 school year, Rubeus Hagrid mentioned he had recently acquired a new batch of young Fire Crabs. Harry Potter suspected that Hagrid had crossbred these crabs with Manticores to create his illegal Blast-Ended Skrewts.
• In the 1995-1996 school year, the fifth-year Care of Magical Creatures class was set to study Fire Crabs as part of their O.W.L. studies. The students were sketching them from a textbook when Dolores Umbridge arrived to inspect Hagrid's performance as a teacher. Hagrid, who was absent at the time, later told Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger that he had planned to move on to Porlocks or Knarls because he felt Fire Crabs were “borin'” after the excitement of handling Nifflers.

• Fire Crabs appear as enemies in several Harry Potter video games. In the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game), they are found in the Forbidden Forest and attack by shooting fireballs from their rears. Once stunned, their shells can be used as temporary shields. They also appear in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game).