Have you ever watched a crab crawl along the seashore or observed a prawn on your plate? Well, you must be already familiar with crustaceans. Crustaceans are animals that can be found in abundance in water bodies and have tough exoskeletons and jointed appendages.
Whether they are planktonic forms floating freely in the seas or large lobsters existing at the bottom of the sea, they are a vital component of the water world.They display immense diversity and help maintain the ecological balance by functioning as consumers as well as prey.
What does crustaceans mean
Crustaceans are a group of marine animals that have a rigid shell (exoskeleton), segmented body, and jointed appendages, which include organisms such as crabs, shrimps, and lobsters.
Pronunciation of crustaceans
- Pronounced: krus-TAY-shunz
- Phonetic spelling: /krʌˈsteɪʃənz/
- The stress falls on the second syllable, “TAY.”
Origin of the word crustaceans
Crustaceans have their origins in the Latin word crustaceus, which translates to “with a crust.” The word itself stems from crusta, which means “outer covering” or “shell.”The word was introduced into the English language during the 17th century when scientists started to classify groups of creatures based on certain characteristics like the presence of an exoskeleton.
How to use crustaceans in a sentence
- Crab and lobster are some common crustaceans.
- Crustaceans such as crabs have been found living on the seabed and help maintain ecological balance.
- There are some crustaceans which are extremely small and can be observed only through a microscope.
- The study was centred around the behaviour of deep-water crustaceans.
Synonyms of crustaceans
- Shellfish
- Marine arthropods
- Aquatic invertebrates
- Decapods
- Arthropods
Antonyms of crustaceans
- Mammals
- Birds
- Reptiles
- Vertebrates
- Amphibians
