CRUSTACEANS
Arthropods in
the water!
All Arthropods
have:
1.
Exoskeleton
2. Jointed Legs
EXAMPLES OF CRUSTACEANS:
Lobsters
Shrimp
Crabs
Barnacles
CRUSTACEAN INFO…
Crustaceans have an external skeleton
or exoskeleton.
 Crustaceans have 4 body parts: eyes,
antennas, mouthparts, and swimmerets.
 All crustaceans have 4 antennas (large
and small).
 Like all arthropods, they have jointed
legs.

CRUSTACEAN
CHARACTERISTCS
Crustaceans have a
fan-shaped tail.
 They do NOT have
a heart.
 Crustaceans have
compound eyes,
which mean their 2
eyes are made up
of many simple
eyes.

Crustacean Numbers

Crustaceans first
appeared 600 million
years ago.

Fossils of over 2,000
species have been
found.

Crustaceans come in
different sizes and
shapes that vary from
a few inches to 10
feet.

There are currently
more than 800
families of
crustaceans and well
over 40,000 species.

Some species live on
land, about 99% spend
their lives in all types
of water habitats,
such as seas, lakes,
and rivers.
LOBSTERS
COOL LOBSTER FACTS
Lobsters are cold
blooded; their body
temp depends on
the temp of the
water.
 Most Lobsters are
nocturnal.
 The biggest lobster
caught weighed
over 44 pounds.
 Lobsters may live
to be 100 years old.

ANOTHER LOBSTER FACT…

Lobsters have a most unusual way of swimming.
The tip of the tail can be spread out to form a
paddle. The lobster can flick its tail under its
body with such force that it shoots backward
through the water.
CRABS
INFO ON CRABS

Crabs have many senses
that help them to find
food and stay out of the
way of enemies.

Would you believe that a
crab has 3 different sets
of jaws? They help to
chomp and crush the
crab’s food into tiny
pieces that are easy to
digest.

All crabs have two pairs
of antennae on their
heads. The long pair help
the crab to feel its way
around the dark. The
short antennae allow the
crab to smell and taste
the water.

There are about 4,500
different kinds of crabs.
Eeeeew!!!! WEIRD!!!!

Decorator crabs
are experts at
camouflage.
They cover their
shell with rocks,
seaweed,
sponges, and
other sea life.
SHRIMP
WANT SOME SHRIMP?

There are over 2,000 different species of shrimp
worldwide. Shrimp range from a small fraction of
an inch to 9 inches long. Shrimp are eaten by
many animals, including many fish, birds, octopi,
squid, cuttlefish, and people
MORE SHRIMP INFO

Female shrimp lay over 1,000 eggs,
which are attached to her swimming
legs. The shrimp emerge as tiny
floating organisms. After growing,
they sink to the bottom, where they
will live. As a shrimp grows, it often
molts (losing its old shell and growing
a new one.)
Some Shrimp live on anemones and
keep them clean in return for
protection.
Tadpole Shrimp-
BARNACLES
Barnacles are crustaceans that don’t go
anywhere. They stick to rocks and other solid
objects and stick out their legs to catch food
floating by.
BARNACLES ?????

Barnacles are usually
found in warm
waters. You can find
them attached to
ship bottoms, wharf
piles, rocks, whales,
large fish and
shellfish. Since they
are attached to
rocks, they are
dependent on the
tides to bring food
to them.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!!
BYE BYE!
By: Nichol Blatnik, Julie Hunt and Marta
Howard ~ Degan Elementary