Crustacean, from the Latin crusta ( “crust”, “bark” ), is a class of gill – breathing arthropod animals, which have two pairs of antennae and a variable number of appendages and are covered by a generally calcified shell.
The crustaceans constitute a subphylum of the arthropods. There are more than 67,000 species of crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimp, lobsters, and prawns. Most crustaceans are aquatic, inhabiting fresh and salt water and at all depths.
All crustaceans share certain anatomical characteristics, although their size is highly variable. The bodies are composed of various segments or metameres that are usually part of three body regions: the cephalon (the head), the pereion (thorax) and the pleon (abdomen). The first few segments of the thorax may join the head forming the region known as the cephalothorax.
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Crustaceans are often a fishery and food resource appreciated by many. Shrimp, for example, are consumed almost everywhere in the world. The usual thing is that they are eaten cooked and without the head, the shell, the fins and the intestines. Shrimp tortilla, shrimp cocktail, shrimp chupe, and shrimp rice are some of the most popular dishes made with this crustacean.
The shrimp is another crustacean that is consumed as food in various regions of the planet. Your body is a source of vitamins B and D and minerals such as phosphorous, iron and iodine. Prawn cocktail, prawn skewers and prawn cebiche are among the recipes that can be made with the crustacean.
Some of the rarest crustaceans in the world are described below:
Skeleton shrimp
This crustacean, whose females poison and devour the males after mating, has a very particular physical appearance, similar to that of a translucent skull. It has an elongated body, which firmly attaches itself to various surfaces, including algae, sponges and corals, so that its prey do not detect its presence in time to escape from its clutches. It is worth mentioning that the action of the human being has forced this species to change its habitat on more than one occasion.
Pea crab
It is a type of parasite belonging to the pinnotheridae family , which lives in the bodies of oysters, sea cucumbers, clams and sea squirts, among other animals, and consumes a percentage of its host’s food. Physically, it is characterized by having a soft and delicate shell.
Remipedias
At first glance, the remipedia class crustacean resembles a centipede, so much so that it also has a series of protuberances that it uses to inject venom into its prey. It usually lives in saltwater aquifers and in underwater caverns, which makes it a difficult animal to spot.
Whale louse
Also called cyamid, it is the largest arthropod yet discovered and spends its entire life on the surface of the body of whales and porpoises, clinging to their scars and wrinkles. It should be noted that it does not cause any kind of damage to its host; instead, they feed on its dead skin, as well as algae. Although it is not visible to the naked eye, it belongs to a branch of the skeleton shrimp family that does not hunt to survive.
Anchor worm
This name responds to various families of copepod crustaceans (small, that live in the sea or in fresh water and that are part of the plankton). When they reach maturity, their physical appearance does not seem to bear any relation to that of an arthropod and they are often seen in the company of other invertebrates or even fish.