Crustacea
Crustacea
Crustacea (pronounced: kruh-STAY-shuh) is a large, diverse group of arthropods, including familiar animals such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. The group Crustacea is usually treated as a subphylum, and thanks to recent molecular studies, it is now well accepted that the crustacean group is paraphyletic, and comprises all animals in the Pancrustacea taxon other than hexapods.
Etymology
The term "Crustacea" is derived from the Latin crustaceus, which means "having a crust or shell". The name was first coined by Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th century.
Characteristics
Crustaceans are generally aquatic and breathe through gills, but there are also terrestrial species (e.g., woodlice) and some which can fly (e.g., amphipods). They have a hard exoskeleton that protects their internal organs and provides a defense against predators. This exoskeleton is periodically shed in a process called molting.
Classification
Crustaceans are divided into various classes, including Malacostraca, which includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp; Maxillopoda, which includes barnacles and copepods; and Branchiopoda, which includes brine shrimp and water fleas.
Related Terms
- Arthropoda: The phylum to which crustaceans belong.
- Decapoda: An order of large crustaceans, including crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
- Copepod: A group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat.
- Ecdysis: The process of molting, or shedding the exoskeleton.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Crustacea
- Wikipedia's article - Crustacea
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