Crowds of Crustaceans 4 Creatures Great and Small 6 Habitats Far and Wide 8 A Breakdown of the Body 10 Kinds of Crustaceans 14 Room to Grow 18 Protection from Predators 20 Fresh Crustaceans 22 Crucial Crustaceans 24 Pests and Parasites 26 Caring About Crustaceans 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 CONTENTS
Many well-known animals belong to the group of invertebrates known as crustaceans Crabs lobsters shrimp and barnacles are among the most familiar crustaceans but the group also includes a large variety of other lesser known forms In fact there are some 45,000 species or kinds of crustaceans CROWDS OF CRUSTACEANS Crabs are some of the most familiar types of crustacean 4
The word crustacean comes from the Latin word crusta meaning shell All crustaceans have a hard but flexible exoskeleton or outer shell and two pairs of antennas or feelers Crustaceans are found mainly in water However a more specific definition of crustaceans is difficult This is because there are many differences in size features and habitats among crustaceans Shrimp have thin shells that they shed several times throughout their life Some animals other than crustaceans have shells too What are some similarities between a shrimp’s shell and a turtle’s shell What are some differences Compare and Contrast 5
