In The Little Mermaid, what is the name of the crab?

In The Little Mermaid, what is the name of the crab? The answer is Sebastian.

Sebastian is the red crab who serves as King Triton’s adviser and musical organizer in Disney’s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid. He is assigned to watch over Ariel, but his efforts to keep her safe repeatedly collide with her determination to explore the human world.

The character is best known for leading “Under the Sea,” one of the film’s major musical numbers. His other prominent song, “Kiss the Girl,” helps encourage Prince Eric to recognize Ariel’s feelings. Sebastian’s nervous, responsible personality provides comic contrast with Ariel’s curiosity and Triton’s strictness.

Sebastian was created specifically for Disney’s adaptation and does not appear in Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairy tale. During development, he was reportedly imagined as an English butler lobster named Clarence. Songwriter Howard Ashman helped reshape the character into a crab with a Caribbean-influenced musical identity, and Samuel E. Wright supplied his distinctive voice.

The most likely confusion is with Flounder, Ariel’s fish friend, or Scuttle, the seagull who gives her unreliable information. Neither is the crab; Sebastian is the character associated with “Under the Sea.”