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Crustaceans

Crustacea

Crustaceans are arthropods in the subphylum Crustacea, a diverse group that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, barnacles, krill, copepods, and woodlice. They are generally aquatic (marine and freshwater, including salty inland brines), though a minority live on land. Typical crustacean traits include two pairs of antennae and jaw-like mouthparts, but there are many exceptions, so no single feature fits every species perfectly. Crustaceans have a chitinous exoskeleton (often reinforced with calcium carbonate) and must molt to grow, and many have complex life cycles with larval stages such as a nauplius.

Crustaceans are arthropods in the subphylum Crustacea, a diverse group that includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, barnacles, krill, copepods, and woodlice. They are generally aquatic (marine and freshwater, including salty inland brines), though a minority live on land. Typical crustacean traits include two pairs of antennae and jaw-like mouthparts, but there are many exceptions, so no single feature fits every species perfectly. Crustaceans have a chitinous exoskeleton (often reinforced with calcium carbonate) and must molt to grow, and many have complex life cycles with larval stages such as a nauplius.