Crustacea (Crustaceans) – Characteristics

Systematic position

Kingdom: Animalia
Sub-kingdom: Eumetazoa
Super-phylum: Ecdysosoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Sub-phylum: Crustacea

Carapace of Penaeus (red) Source: Wikipedia

Crustaceans Characteristics

Ø  Usually marine aquatic arthropods

Ø  Head and thorax fused to form cephalothorax

Ø  Cephalothorax usually covered by single large carapace

Ø  Two pair of antennae (only arthropod with two pairs of antennae)

Carapace of Crab (Source Wikipedia)

Ø  5 pairs of cephalic appendages

Ø  Cephalic appendages: first pair antennules, second pair antennae, third pair mandibles, fourth pair first maxillae and fifth pair second maxillae

Ø  Thoracic and abdominal appendages are biramous

Ø  First pair of antennae (antennules) are uniramous

Ø  Respiration through gills

Ø  Excretion by green glands or antennal glands

Ø  Sense organs: antennae, statocysts and eyes

Sally Lightfoot Crab (Malacostraca, Wikipedia)

Ø  Eyes are compound

Ø  Paired gonopores

Ø  Development usually indirect (direct forms also present)

Ø  Larval stage is called nauplius

Classification of Crustacea:

Sub-phylum Crustacea is divided into six classes:

            Class 1 : Branchiopoda

            Class 2 : Remipedia

            Class 3 : Cephalocarida

            Class 4 : Maxillopoda

            Class 5 : Ostracoda

            Class 6 : Malacostraca

Sub-phylum Crustacea and its Classes

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