How to Study Types of Crustaceans

By eHow Education Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Recognize the spectrum of crustacean species ranging from lobsters and other large species down to barnacles, which are small and immobile during their adult life.
Step 2:
Know that there are six classes of Crustaceans. Most familiar species come from the Malacostraca class (Greek for "soft shell"). The group originated in the Cambrian age.
Step 3:
Explore the migratory patterns of emerging crustacean species. Scientists say many crustaceans adapted to new environments to avoid competition with stronger species.
Step 4:
Explore the unique and complex relationship between malacostraca types. One main characteristic is the limb development of each species. The crustaceans all have heads and abdomens, but only some have developed arms. For example, the "Dublin Bay prawn," a large shrimp species, has two evident "claw" type arms, while the shrimp species commonly consumed in America have only wispy tentacle-arms. This distinction invites focused study.
Step 5:
Research the names. In looking at familiar crustacean species, it can help to research how they are named in the latin-based languages of Europe. While we refer to "lobsters" and "crabs" (two words sharing no evident linguistic root), in many European dialects, the larger species is called by some variant of "L'angostia" and the smaller one "L'angostine," suggesting Europeans are more likely to recognize the similarity of the species.

Tips & Warnings

One interesting crustacean case study is the artemia salina, or "brine shrimp." Since some enterprising business person introduces us to this species under the commercial name of "sea-monkey," thousands of enthusiasts have raised their own artemia salina in small plastic household aquariums. The ability of these small crustaceans to hatch from centuries-old dried eggs is among their most remarkable characteristics.

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