Crustaceans: Distinguishing Characteristics of Crustacea

Crustaceans a river shrimp, Macrobrachium jamaicense, was
collected from Devils River, Tx: 3’ long including

antennae, body was 10.5” long, 3 lbs
=shelled creatures; “the insects of the sea”
some crustaceans live for several decades; some molt
~67,000 species throughout life
eg: lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, crabs, water fleas, so continuous increase in size
copepods, barnacles, pill bugs, etc
eg. Lobsters may be the longest lived
crustaceans are mostly aquatic, mostly marine Crustaceans
one was collected that weighed 35 lbs
inhabit most waters of the earth: ocean, arctic,
freshwaters, high mountain creeks and lakes was estimated to be 50 yrs old;
thermal springs, brine waters
à ~ 4’ long total
many are at the base of aquatic food chains body only was ~2’ long,
part of zooplankton
claw was an additional 20”
only a few are terrestrial; eg. sow bugs or pill bugs some crustaceans are quite colorful; blue, red,
orange, yellow
crustaceans vary in size from microscopic (<0.1 mm)
to >12’ many are bioluminescent
eg largest (longest) is giant Japanese crab
Distinguishing Characteristics of Crustacea:
à up to 12’ from end of claws to tail and a weight of
40 lbs (20 kg)
1. the crustacean body is divided into a
eg. crayfish & freshwater shrimp cephalothorax, abdomen and tail (telson)
largest crustaceans in freshwaters often have carapace extending over abdomen

some up to 2’ and weigh 9 lbs and gills
Animals: Arthropoda - Crustacea; Ziser Lecture Notes, , 2016.11 1 Animals: Arthropoda - Crustacea; Ziser Lecture Notes, , 2016.11 2
in some groups carapace forms clamshell like valves that lots of variation in appendages between groups
encloses body
eg in decapods (crayfish, crabs, lobsters, etc):
2. they are the only arthropods with 2 pairs of
antennae 1st 2 pair à antennae with chemoreceptors
next 5 pr à feeding appendages; including

3. most with compound eyes, smaller ones only with cephalothorax mandible, maxilla and maxillipeds
simple eyes
next 5 à walking legs including cheliped and
4. crustaceans use jaw-like mandibles as main gills
feeding structures; abdomen next 5 à called swimmerets; used to carry

eggs and as copulatory organ
also maxillae and maxillipeds
telson last à uropod = swim fin
5. abdomen usually with pairs of jointed appendages

on most segments
most crustaceans can cast off legs or pinchers to
escape predators and later regrow them
they generally have many pairs of appendages
range from 3 to 50 pairs of limbs 6. unique larval stage in marine forms:
many are biramous appendages nauplius larva
à 2 branches from base segment most have single larval eye throughout several larval
stages
appendages are modified for a variety of uses some retain the larval eye into adulthood and never
sensory develop compount eyes
feeding
defense Body Form
walking
swimming
reproduction the most ancient crustaceans resembled some kind of
respiration aquatic centipede; long segmented body
with similar segments and similar appendages
over time, great variety of body types arose abdomen usually with pairs of jointed
appendages on most segments
only one small group of these primitive
crustaceans remain today telson (tail)
only 10 species in their own class ‘Remipedia’
has its own paired appendages
in most crustaceans today, the body is usually divided
into a cephalothorax, abdomen and tail = uropods that with the telson form a finlike
(telson) tail
some have distinct head and thorax Movement
often have carapace extending over the sides of Crustaceans generally have many pairs of appendages
the animal larger species 5 or more pairs of walking legs
in some groups carapace forms clamshell like ‘valves’ that

encloses the whole body
most appendages are biramous
in others the carapace covers cephalothorax but not they branch like a “wishbone”; one of the
abdomen branches usually has a gill attached at its
base
cephalothorax
most crustaceans can cast off legs or pinchers and
feeding and sensory appendages
regrow them
5 or more pairs of walking legs
voluntary (striated) muscle tissue arranged in
st antagonistic groups
including chelipeds (pinchers) on 1 pair
eg. flexors & extensors
abdomen
similar to vertebrates
segmentation is most apparent in the abdomen

Feeding & Digestion legs to strain water for food
4. scavengers
use jaw-like mandibles as main feeding
structures eg. isopods, amphipods
5. parasites
also maxillae and maxillipeds
eg. fish lice, tongue worms
chelipeds (1st walking legs) are also used to catch,
tear off and put pieces of food to the mouth crustaceans have a well developed digestive system:
great variation in feeding types: cardiac stomach with gastric mill for grinding
1. predators gastric mill has hardened “teeth”
eg. crabs use large claws used to break open shells to feed some have gastroliths in stomach to help
eg. mantis shrimp grinde food
is an ambush predator, extremely carnivorous and pyloric stomach for sorting

aggressive
called “split thumb” in Bermuda and West Indies digestive gland secretes digestive enzymes
front end looks like praying mantis Respiration

has “jackknife claws”
in small crustacea: no special organs
live in solitary burrows
eyes are stalked and constantly watch for prey

à exchange across body surface
2. herbivores in larger crustacea: respiration usually by feathery

gills
3. suspension feeders
on bases of walking legs
eg. barnacles sit upside down in shell and use
crustacean blood has the ability to clot
in some sides of carapace form gill chambers
that enclose gills Nervous System:
have an appendage called a “bailer” that as in other Arthropods, similar to Annelids

creates a water current across gills
2 pairs of ganglia around the esophagus that supply
Circulation sense organs of the cephalothorax
open circulatory system double ventral nerve cord with a pair of ganglia in
each segment along the rest of the body
no veins or capillaries
fluid filled coelom = hemocoel Sense Organs
dorsal heart in hemocoel sense organs are well developed in crustaceans
heart has ostia (holes) to draw in hemolymph 1. most have compound eyes and simple eyes
(blood) (ocelli)
hemolymph is pumped through 2 or more arteries for compound eye consists of many separate units called
ommatidia
distribution
each with cornea divided into many small squares or hexagons
most crustaceans have some kind of blood pigment to called facets
better distribute oxygen to tissues each ommatidium behaves like a separate eye
hemolymph may be bluish, reddish or colorless: each ommatidium has a moveable pigment component that
allows it to adjust to differing light intensities
most: hemocyanin à bluish pigment with Copper
in daylight only light rays that strike the cornea directly
others: hemoglobin à red pigment with Iron reach the photoreceptor cells
some: no pigments in dim light rays can activate the photoreceptors in more
than one ommatidium
zooplanktonic crustaceans show particular

sensitivity to light as they undergo daily some crabs have striae or ridges on inner side of
migrations up and down the water column to chelae that they rub against tubercles on
stay in the best light regime for feeding yet carapace
being able to avoid visually hunting predators
some crabs have tympanic membranes on their
2. chemoreceptors (taste) on mouthparts, 1st leg segments to pick up these sound
vibrations
3. crustaceans uniquely have 2 pairs of antennae
sound is used for warning, to frighten enemies,
4. tactile hairs and spines spread over body mating rituals, etc
5. statocysts for orientation 7. Light emitting organs & communication by

light
at base of antennae
many crustaceans have light emitting organs
saclike; opens to surface by pore (=photophores) that use luciferase to
produce light
take in sand grains which trigger hair
cells to provide info on orientation
many crustaceans give off rich blue sparks of light
6. hearing: communication by sound when disturbed
eg. some ostracods and a few copepods, even some
many crustaceans make underwater noises to freshwater decapods
communicate
krill have light organs with lens and reflector to
eg. pistol crabs snap claws together producing sound focus and intensify the light beam
like pulling a cork from a bottle
eg. one species of mantis shrimp makes a vigorous many pelagic crustacea flash brilliantly during
rasping noise by rubbing uropods against mating swarms
underside of telson
eg. Florida spiny crab produces sound like moist

Endocrine System
fingers rubbing against a window pane
hormones help to control:
located in ventral part of the head anterior to
molting the esophagus
although molting (ecdysis) is hormonally controlled the
cycle is triggered by environmental stimuli to nervous generally a coiled tube leading to a sac
system which opens at the base of the
antennae or maxillae
eg. temperature, day length, humidity (land crustacea)
or some combination
extracts N-wastes from hemolymph
molt-inhibiting hormone levels decrease surrounding it and secretes it to the
molting hormone increases
outside
once molting is initiated it proceeds automatically also used to regulate water & salts
body coloration (K & Ca+ conserved; SO4 & Mg excreted)
chromatophore (pigment cells) behavior is controlled by [no malpighian tubules]

hormones from glandcells in the base of the eyestalks
Reproduction
heart rate
most are separate sexed (dioecious)
blood sugar levels
but a few are hermaphrodites including barnacles
sexual development
some have courtship rituals involving chemical, visual
Excretion
and auditory cues:
nitrogen wastes are excreted through skin (if no gills) eg. fiddler & ghost crabs
or through gills & antennal glands male attract females during the day by waving its claws and
both day & night by producing distinctive drumming
sounds
antennal glands (or maxillary/green gland)

when a female touches a male the frequency increases 2 pr antennae

dramatically 3 prs appendages
1 pr mandibles
female can only mate after final molt
all function as swimming appendages at this stage
some develop large “apron” for carrying eggs from the nauplius stage often develop other distinctive
larval forms for different groups of crustaceans
copulation: male delivers sperm packet to
eg. zoea larva – some crabs
receptacle using modified swimmerets
eg. protozoea larva – shrimp
a few groups, mainly those living in temporary waters
eg. copepodid larva - copepods
reproduce by parthenogenesis
later there is a more dramatic change =metamorphosis
eg. brachiopods, ostracods, isopods and a few crayfish
into the adult
males are rare or unknown in some species
eggs are generally released into the water
some retain their eggs until they hatch in brood

pouches
eg. Most crabs and shrimp
in some crustacea such as crayfish, development is

direct with no larval stage
but most crustaceans produce a variety of distinctive

larval forms as the animal develops
many marine crustaeans begin with a characteristic

larval form
= nauplius larva
Classification of Crustacea eg. water fleas, fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, brine shrimp)
Class Ostracoda (13,000 sp. (70,000 fossil sp.))

The subphylum Crustacea is divided into 4 major
small, body flattened side to side and protected by bivalve-
classes (with 2 additional classes for a few rare
like calcareous shell
species)
eg. seed shrimp
Class Malacostraca (40,000 sp.)
also,
largest crustacean class, extremely diverse – possibly the
most diverse class in the entire animal kingdom
Class Remipedia (17 sp.)
head-thorax-abdomen, sometimes head and thorax fused
very primitive characteristics
into a cephalothorax
à resembles a centipede in general body form but with
appendages on all major tagmata
biramous legs
with or without carapace
very poorly known à all known species are from
underwater caves
eyes on stalks
eg. isopods, pill bugs, amphipods, scuds, shrimp, crabs, Class Cephalocarida (12 sp.)
lobster, crayfish, krill, mantis shrimp, etc
occur along the coasts of the United States, in the West
Indies and Japan
Class Maxillipoda (10,000 sp.)
2-3 mm long
mostly small, reduced abdomen which generally lacks
appendages live in bottom sediment from intertidal zone to 300 m
eg. copepods, barnacles, fish lice and tongue worms also thought to be very primitive
Class Branchipoda (1000 sp.)

gills on many appendages, including some mouthparts
most have compound eyes and carapace; in some the

carapace is made of 2 valves that completely enclose
the animal
Crustacea occupy every possible kind of habitat in the without crustaceans, animal populations in aquatic
ocean and freshwaters. ecosystems would collapse
most crustaceans live in the ocean and are one of the eg. especially the larger crustaceans; shrimp, lobsters
and crabs
“pillars of the global marine ecosystems”
eg. crabs use large claws used to break open shells to
of the 40,000 or so species of crustaceans, about feed
4000 of these are found in freshwaters.
eg. fiddler crab uses largest claw for social interactions
Most Crustacean, both marine and freshwater inhabit only uses small claw for scavenging food from
benthic and planktonic habitats sand
the females brood eggs or brood young in a ventral

Benthic Crustaceans brood chamber (=marsupium)
most crustaceans are benthic organisms; they live on, on freshwater sediments the larger
in, or near the bottom sediment of both marine crustaceans are mainly crayfish and
and freshwater habitats shrimp
there are even a few freshwater crabs
benthic marine crustaceans include mainly the
larger species many eat plant life on the floors of lakes, ponds and
streams
benthic crustaceans play an important role in eg. isopods generally much smaller, <.5”
decomposing dead or decaying animals, algae and
plants (except for one group of deep water isopods that grow more
than a foot long)
crustaceans feed a vast number of other animals isopods are mainly scavengers
in oceans and in freshwaters
mainly found crawling on the substrate or under rocks
and submerged plants
their numerous symbioses help to control populations
of other animals seldom found in open water
common in both marine and small freshwater lakes and eg. Ostracoda (=seed shrimp)
streams
much more common in freshwater habitats
some crustaceans construct tubes in sediment, wood and
rock much smaller
eg. boring isopods can destroy wooden pilings in less mainly benthic animals that inhabit all types of
than 2 yrs substrates in standing and running water
some isopods can tunnel through limestone rock a few actively swim just above the substrate
some have been known to burrow through the generally use their antennae to move
insulation of undersea cables shorting them out
enclosed in bivalve carapace that completely covers
a few cave adapted forms occur in subterranean the entire animal
waters
their shells are so strong that they fossilize well
eg. amphipods (side-swimmers or scuds)
ostracods are the oldest known crustacean group in
much more common and diverse in marine benthos than in the fossil record
freshwaters
marine species are especially important to
shrimp-like appearance: strongly compressed laterally paleontolotists in dating sediment
but no carapace (65,000 fossil species vs 13,000 living species)
generally much more active at night than during generally feed on bacteria, fungi, algae and detritus
daytime
ostracods have the largest sperm in the animal kingdom in
amphipods are voracious feeders both relative and absolute terms.
omnivorous scavengers; feed on all kinds of plant and Ostracod sperm can be up to ten times the length of
animal matter the male's body!
a few are parasites Some male ostracodes need a special organ (Zenker's
organ) to aid in sperm transport.
like decapods, the females brood eggs and young in a
ventral brood chamber (=marsupium) ostracods lay their eggs on sediment or aquatic vegetation
the eggs can hatch immediately or years later
viable eggs have been collected from dried ponds and the carapace develops into a mantle that secretes
revived after 20 years calcareous plates
some marine crustaceans are sessile (=attached) legs develop in feathery cirri for filtering water
eg. Barnacles (=Cirripedia) animal sits up-side-down in shell and extends legs to filter
feed
sessile: secrete shell of several calcium plates in
which they live almost all are hermaphrodites yet they cross fertilize with
internal fertilization
common in intertidal areas
a few species are dioecious with the dwarf males
when tide goes out they can close their shells attached to the female
every time a wave comes in they extend their legs to filter they don’t feed and die after inseminating the
the water female
considered a kind of mollusk until 1830 barnacles are preyed on especially by starfish and snails
but once they were discovered to produce a nauplius Planktonic Crustaceans

larva it was clear they were a kind of crustacean
there are 2 main kinds of barnacles:

many smaller crustacea are part of the plankton in
both marine and freshwaters = zooplankton
some with stalk = goose barnacles
larger planktonic crustaceans are the primary
some without = acorn barnacles
herbivores feeding on the phytoplankton (algae
eggs hatch into motile, nauplius larvae then a cypris larva and bacteria)
after swimming a short time the larva secretes a
strong polysaccharide cement from its antennae
small planktonic crustaceans such as copepods,
and attaches to the substrate ostracods and krill are essential links between
producers and larger consumers in aquatic food
à the strongest adhesive known webs
adults secrete chemicals that attract the larvae to settle
near them to facilitate reproduction krill and copepods are extremely abundant in the
worlds oceans
these planktonic crustacea may be the animals with the
greatest biomass on the planet majority of the diet of commercial fish is
copepods
depending on these zooplankton are a diverse
some freshwater forms are important vectors for diseases
community of predators such as guinea worm
including other crustaceans, squid, fish, and eg. Krill (Euphasids)

whales
small shrimp-like animals extremely abundant in
marine plankton
eg. Copepods
often occur in swarms up to 30,000 individuals/m3
copepods are one of the most abundant and diverse
groups of crustacean
a major part of the diet of whales, seals, penguins and
cephalopods among others
over 12,000 species (some believe this to be about
15% of total species out there)
eg. whales eat 2-3 tons of krill per meal
may be the most abundant aquatic animals on the
planet large numbers of crustacean larvae along with
fish larvae making up a significant portion of
copepods are abundant in both marine and freshwater the biomass of the open ocean
environments
(=microzooplankton)
but much more abundant and diverse in the ocean
are a significant source of fish food in marine ecosystems
most common as plankton but many species also occur on
or in the sediment as benthic organisms eg. Water Fleas (=Cladocerans)
small, slender, clearly segmented body cladocera are especially abundant in permanent
freshwater ponds & lakes, among marginal
large pair of antennae used for movement vegetation
feathery legs to filter food à important part of freshwater zooplankton
feed in a variety of ways: scraping food from hard much less common in the ocean
surfaces, filtering articles from the water, seizing
and biting prey body is enclosed within a bivalve shell called a
carapace that covers the thorax and the
extremely important food source for marine fish abdomen but not the head
many cladocerans show a dramatic change in body shape certain specialized crustaceans are the dominant
over the year = cyclomorphosis
animals in highly saline or alkaline environments
large eyes – looks like a single eye but is actually 2 or in temporary waters such as playas
compound eyes that are fused together
most crustaceans inhabiting these temporary habitats are from
very large antennae that are used for locomotion the Class Branchiopoda
inside the carapace are 5 or 6 pairs of feet used to “breath through their feet”
filter the water for food
à feathery gills at base of walking legs
most cladocera are filter feeders and eat algae, protozoa
and bacteria the branchipoda generally inhabit temporary pools, ponds and
playas
they also eat aquatic plants
and are generally completely absent from permanent
a few are predators on microscopic animals bodies of water
most cladocera reproduce sexually by fertilization of egg feed mainly on algae, bacteria, protists and microscopic animals
with sperm, and parthenogenetically
use parthenogenesis for most of the year they typically appear in the spring and disappear in late summer
or autumn as habitat dries
switch to ’regular’ sexual reproduction under adverse
conditions to survive most produce very drought resistant eggs that can
survive dried or frozen for years in lake beds
female carries her eggs around in a brood pouch
enclosed in carapace the eggs of most hatch into nauplius larvae
eggs hatch and young swim free – direct development eg. fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, clam shrimp
eggs play a key role in dispersal to new habitats eg Fairy Shrimp
resistant to freezing and drying live in vernal pools and hypersaline lakes worldwide
the eggs of some have remained viable for up to 300 including pools in deserts, ice covered mountain lakes
years and Antarctica
Temporary or Highly Saline Waters common, especially during the cool months of year, but
seldom seen unless pursued
fairy shrimp are most easily distinguished from all other
similar crustaceans in that they swim upside down. eg. Tadpole Shrimp (Triops sp.)
not usually found in ponds that contain fish resembles a baby horseshoe crab
one of few crustacean groups with distinct head considered a “living fossil” this genus has remained
essentially unchanged for the last 70 M years (time of
stalked compound eyes the dinosaurs)
no carapace large shield-like carapace covering most of the body
some grow up to an inch long look somewhat like tiny horseshoe crabs
11 pairs of swimming legs the name Triops refers to it’s 3 eyes
use legs to swim upside down at end of abdomen are two long filamentous extensions
graceful movements, often transparent omnivorous: they eat anything organic includng their
siblings (they are cannibalistic)
feed by filtering algae, bacteria, protozoans etc from the
water or by scraping algae from surfaces usually found in vernal pools, worldwide, scratching at the
sediment or straining the water for food
Important food source for many birds and fish
several of their activities have human benefits:
Many species of fairy shrimp compete intensely for mates.
they eat culex mosquito larvae which transmits west
Since mating usually occurs just after the female Nile virus
moults, males often grasp her and are towed
around while waiting for her to moult. used in Japan to eat weeds in rice paddies
Some females have a chain of these attached males, their presence in the Western US usually indicates the
including some which have died while waiting presence of endangered spadefoot toads
includes: brine shrimp (Artemia) the eggs are also sold to raise as “pets” called
‘aquasaurs’ or ‘trigons’ or just ‘triops’
only animals that flourish in the Great Salt Lake of
Utah and other hypersaline environments eg. Clam Shrimp (Conchostraca)
today they are cultured extensively as fish food laterally compressed
eggs sold as novelties; “sea monkeys”

enclosed within a carapace of 2 valves to resemble a small some bore into wood causing destruction of pilings
clam and warves
they extend their second antennae out of the carapace to eg. beach fleas or sand hoppers (amphipods)
swim
some are almost terrestrial; found crawling around on
they feed on detritus or plankton by drawing water into the piers and jetties
carapace
most reproduce sexually Symbioses

some reproduce by parthenogenesis
many examples have already been cited
Terrestrial Crustaceans
a. numerous commensal relationships with other
while the vast majority of crustaceans are aquatic, invertebrates
some groups are semiaquatic or terrestrial
eg. many bivalves harbor commensal crabs within their
shells
eg. land crabs burrow above tide line into the water table
eg. crabs and shrimp also live inside sponges, worm
can survive days out of water
tubes, etc
eg. pill bugs & sow bugs (isopods)
eg. some barnacles in symbiosis with humpbacks and other
whales
isopods are the only group of crustaceans with truly
terrestrial representatives
stick on skin; esp head, flippers and flukes
have very delicate gill-like respiratory organs that
appear to cause little damage except for some species
must be kept moist
that seem to burrow into the skin but don’t seem
to cause serious inflammation
found in damp places under stones and logs
feed on scraps produced by whale feeding
able to roll up for protection (=rolly pollys)
young develop in brood pouch b. mutualistic interactions
some salt water relatives are found along coasts and eg. decorator crabs attach sponges, anemones, etc to their
live in seaweed, along rocks and algae shells for camoflage
eg. cleaner shrimp remove skin parasites from fish

then they develop into a nonparasitic stage until they
set up “cleaning stations” along the reefs that fish know to are ready to feed again
visit
they repeat this cycle several times during their lives
remove parasites, dead skin and other debris
eg. tongue biter: enter host as males through gills and
some cleaner shrimp even enter the mouths of fish to clean change gender as they mature
gills
she attaches herself to fish’s tongue and sucks blood
c. a very diverse variety of crustaceans have become
fishes tongue disappears and the parasite becomes the
parasitic functioning ‘tongue’ of the fish
eg. Fish Lice (Branchiura, eg. Argulus) eg. copepods
one of the simplest and most common forms of crustacean

almost half of all copepod species are either parasitic or
parasites are the fish lice
commensal with other organisms
parasites on marine and freshwater fish
there is a hugh diversity of shapes and lifestyles
cling tightly to fish with a set of antennae modified into larg
Parasitic copepods often cling to the outside of their hosts
barbed suckers
others invade the gills, nostrils or mouth of their host
have flattened bodies, compound eyes and maxillae
modified into suckers to attach to the sides of fish
eg. Dryodora: attaches to the rectum of fish and
mouth borne on a long proboscis used to suck blood and develop into pustule looking sacs
mucus from their host
eg. Anchorworms (eg. Lernaeocera): some species
after feeding on host the parasite detaches and drifts embed themselves on the eyes of sharks and feed
downstream on the vitreuous jelly inside.
many species can tolerate both fresh and salt waters eg. Trebius: ectoparasite on the embryo of
angelsharks (inside mom)
eg. some isopod parasites
eg. Acrothoracica
mainly ectoparasites
related to copepods and barnacles
eg. Gnathiidae: are similar to ticks in that they attach and
gorge on blood parasitize corals and echinoderms
female cypris larva attaches to a crab and injects

eg. Tongue Worms (Pentastomida) a mass of eggs
parasites that live in the respiratory tract of vertebrates, these cells migrate to intestine of host and
usually reptiles in the tropics develop rootlike growths that permeate the
hosts body
also some fish, bird and mammals (including humans)
develops an extensive system of branches extending
so unlike other crustaceans that until recently they were into every appendage
classified in their own phylum, pentastomida
a saclike growth appears under the crabs abdomen
wormlike; 2-13 cm long; >70 sp, 4 fossil genera where eggs and sperm form (Sacculina is a
hermaphrodite)
4 clawlike appendages at anterior end
the crabs metabolism is completely altered:
mouth with protuberance
the cells of the parasite multiply and differentiate
no resp, circ or excretory organs into a reproductive form which produce an
egg mass in the female hosts apron
their life cycle involves 2 hosts
the host protects, ventilates and grooms the egg
the intermediate host is vertebrate prey of final host mass as if it were her own
the larvae live in it’s blood if crab is a male:
eg. Tantulocarida body assumes shape of a female

reduced length of some segments
crustaceans that parasitize other crustaceans broadening of abdomen
testes reduced or converted to ovaries
among the smallest arthropods
à both male and female resemble mature female
can be less than 0.1 mm long bearing eggs: physically and behaviorally
eg. Sacculina
probably the most bizzare of all parasitic animals
Sacculina is a highly modified barnacle that has

become a parasite of crabs
Economic Importance of crayfish (crawfish) are commonly eaten in the
southern US and in other countries
Crustaceans
Louisiana produces 70-90% of all commercial
many are at the base of aquatic food chains crayfish, most of it from aquaculture
part of zooplankton
recent (2007) annual harvest of ~55,000 tons
1. as food
eg. crab, lobster, crayfish, shrimp Krill are now being harvested for human
consumption around the Antarctic
more than 10 million tons of crustaceans are
harvested for food each year (2007) can harvest 12 tons/hour
à mostly shrimp, crab, lobsters and but they are difficult to process
prawns
goose barnacles are popular food on the coasts of
the heyday of lobster fishing was in the Spain, Portugal and parts of N. Africa
1890’s:
France is developing a goose barnacle fishery
1892 yield was 24 M lbs of lobster; to export them
25 pounders were common
292 tons/yr worldwide (2011)
80% of all crustaceans are harvested in Asia,

mainly China In Libya are many brine lakes from which large
quantities of brine shrimp (Artemia) are
some crab are harvested by breaking off claws harvested
and throwing rest back
collected in nets and sun dried until they form
blue crab are held captive until they molt, the a “foul-smelling black paste” then eaten
viscera are removed and they are sold as
“soft-shelled” crab native Americans used to harvest them from
the Great Salt Lake
Aquaculture of freshwater crustaceans now 4. many crustaceans are serious pests

accounts for 2.4 million tons of seafood eaten/
year (2011) a. cause crop destruction
eg. rice crabs in China and India eat rice;
mainly shrimp and crabs burrows may drain rice fields destroying crops
a similar amount was cultured in brackish eg. crayfish destroy young cotton plants
water aquaculture
b. boring & fouling organisms
some are allergic to seafood
borers destroy warves & docks and wooden
mainly an allergy to tropomyosin – a muscle hulled boats
protein
undermine sea walls and bore into stone
but a few other proteins may also cause
allergies destroy underwater cables
2. bait adhere to ships reduce efficiency and increase

hull decay
crayfish are commonly sold and used as bait either
live or only the tail meat eg. barnacles
sometimes causes problems with bioinvasions 5. some act as intermediate hosts for human
parasites
3. pets eg. Guinea worm
larva is in copepods; swallowed in contaminated water
crayfish are kept as pets in freshwater aquaria grow in lymphatic system
up to 3’ long
female produces blister like lesions on lower extremeties to
land crabs are often sold in pet stores lay eggs in water
also brine shrimp and tadpole shrimp eg. fish tapeworm

larva in Cyclops and Diaptomus
eaten by fish eg. Cladocera are easily cultured and used to study behavior,
evolution, speciation and animal ecology
humans eat uncooked fish
6. Some Crustaceans are used for dissections in

biology classes
eg. crayfish
7. Real and imagined medicinal uses:
many crustaceans have been used as remedies

since antiquity
cures based on crustaceans were described in

medical texts from the 1st century AD
eg. ashes from freshwater crabs used to treat rabid dogs
eg. decapod gastroliths rich in calcium used to treat e

xcessive stomach acid
eg. the hard parts, flesh, and juices had diuretic properties
and were used to treat urinary and gynecological
problems
eg. during the 16th century crabs were thought to cure TB

and cancers
eg. even today up to 20 species of crustaceans are used

medicinally in Latin America
used as remedies for asthma, bronchitis, epilepsy, and

hemorrhages
8. Several Crustacea are used as experimental

models in research:

Crustaceans: Distinguishing Characteristics of Crustacea

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Crustaceans: Distinguishing Characteristics of Crustacea

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Crustaceans a river shrimp, Macrobrachium jamaicense, was

collected from Devils River, Tx: 3’ long including

largest crustaceans in freshwaters often have carapace extending over abdomen

next 5 pr à feeding appendages; including

feeding structures; abdomen next 5 à called swimmerets; used to carry

5. abdomen usually with pairs of jointed appendages

many are biramous appendages nauplius larva

some have distinct head and thorax Movement

in some groups carapace forms clamshell like ‘valves’ that

segmentation is most apparent in the abdomen

Feeding & Digestion legs to strain water for food

1. predators gastric mill has hardened “teeth”

is an ambush predator, extremely carnivorous and pyloric stomach for sorting

front end looks like praying mantis Respiration

eyes are stalked and constantly watch for prey

2. herbivores in larger crustacea: respiration usually by feathery

have an appendage called a “bailer” that as in other Arthropods, similar to Annelids

fluid filled coelom = hemocoel Sense Organs

dorsal heart in hemocoel sense organs are well developed in crustaceans

zooplanktonic crustaceans show particular

5. statocysts for orientation 7. Light emitting organs & communication by

eg. Florida spiny crab produces sound like moist

body coloration (K & Ca+ conserved; SO4 & Mg excreted)

chromatophore (pigment cells) behavior is controlled by [no malpighian tubules]

antennal glands (or maxillary/green gland)

when a female touches a male the frequency increases 2 pr antennae

eggs are generally released into the water

some retain their eggs until they hatch in brood

in some crustacea such as crayfish, development is

but most crustaceans produce a variety of distinctive

many marine crustaeans begin with a characteristic

Class Ostracoda (13,000 sp. (70,000 fossil sp.))

Class Branchipoda (1000 sp.)

most have compound eyes and carapace; in some the

the females brood eggs or brood young in a ventral

but no carapace (65,000 fossil species vs 13,000 living species)

the eggs can hatch immediately or years later

but once they were discovered to produce a nauplius Planktonic Crustaceans

there are 2 main kinds of barnacles:

including other crustaceans, squid, fish, and eg. Krill (Euphasids)

feathery legs to filter food à important part of freshwater zooplankton

eggs play a key role in dispersal to new habitats eg Fairy Shrimp

no carapace large shield-like carapace covering most of the body

11 pairs of swimming legs the name Triops refers to it’s 3 eyes

today they are cultured extensively as fish food laterally compressed

eggs sold as novelties; “sea monkeys”

most reproduce sexually Symbioses

young develop in brood pouch b. mutualistic interactions

eg. cleaner shrimp remove skin parasites from fish

eg. Fish Lice (Branchiura, eg. Argulus) eg. copepods

one of the simplest and most common forms of crustacean

female cypris larva attaches to a crab and injects

the larvae live in it’s blood if crab is a male:

eg. Tantulocarida body assumes shape of a female

probably the most bizzare of all parasitic animals

Sacculina is a highly modified barnacle that has

80% of all crustaceans are harvested in Asia,

Aquaculture of freshwater crustaceans now 4. many crustaceans are serious pests

2. bait adhere to ships reduce efficiency and increase

also brine shrimp and tadpole shrimp eg. fish tapeworm

6. Some Crustaceans are used for dissections in

7. Real and imagined medicinal uses:

many crustaceans have been used as remedies