In "The Little Mermaid", Ariel's two best friends are what kinds of sea creatures?

In “The Little Mermaid,” Ariel’s two best-known sea-creature companions are a crab and a fish: Sebastian is the crab, while Flounder is the fish. Together, they accompany Ariel through much of the 1989 Disney animated film.

Sebastian is a red Caribbean crab who serves as King Triton’s court composer and adviser. He is often assigned to watch Ariel, so their relationship combines friendship with the exasperation of a reluctant chaperone. His musical performances include the famous song “Under the Sea.”

Flounder is Ariel’s nervous but loyal fish friend. Despite his fearfulness, he repeatedly joins Ariel’s explorations and helps her investigate the human world. Disney’s official descriptions commonly identify Flounder as Ariel’s best friend, while Sebastian is her close companion and guardian figure.

Some viewers also remember Scuttle, a seagull in the animated film, as part of Ariel’s circle of friends. However, the two underwater companions described by the question are Sebastian and Flounder, making “a crab and a fish” the expected answer.