BETWEEN CHELAE AND ANTENNAS, CRUSTACEANS
- Friendly Fins
- Dec 12, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 7
“You often confuse us with each other! We understand that we are very similar to each other but we want to give you some little tips to help you distinguish us easily! Let's get started!”
Who are crustaceans?
Crustaceans are part of the huge group of arthropods (which also includes insects) with over 45,000 species unknown to date. Obviously we will not talk about this immense number of animals but only the most famous ones, those that we find recurrently in our everyday life and especially in the Friendly Fins adventures!
Characteristics of crustaceans
First of all, we must distinguish crustaceans from all other animals; in fact, they have unique characteristics that will immediately capture our attention:
“We have an external skeleton that gives us a robust appearance, this does not grow with us, so as we grow we produce a new one.
We have a “lot” of legs! To be precise they are called appendages and we have 10 pairs!
We have antennae or claws, or both!
We wander around the rocky or sandy seabed, but some of us also like the beach! Just like you, right?”
Once we have identified ourselves, we can start introducing ourselves:
It is one of the most famous crustaceans, especially for its beauty and deliciousness of its meat (unfortunately for it). Adults are between 20 and 40 cm with very bright colors: shades of green, yellow, blue and reddish, on a darker background. Lobsters are of different species and we find them in both temperate and tropical seas.
They always live in sheltered and hidden areas such as caves and crevices between rocks or corals.
We recognize it immediately because it has a pair of antennae that are longer than the body and folded backwards; but the most obvious characteristic is the absence of claws!
We can often identify them thanks to the long antennae that stick out from the rocky walls or the coral reef!
“Please Friendly Fins, don’t touch our beautiful antennae because they are very delicate and we use them to actively communicate with each other and not only!”
The red lobster
Often confused with the lobster, this cute animal likes cold water, so we can only meet it in temperate seas and at depths around and beyond 40 m. It loves to stay on the sand at the base of the rocky walls where it can build its den in the crevices.
The red lobster is immediately recognizable thanks to its two large, well-pronounced claws, while its antennae are much shorter than those of the crawfish. In addition, its color appears much darker.
“We are NOT male lobsters! We are actually a different species with male red lobsters and female red lobsters!”
Scampi
The scampis loves muddy bottoms where it hides during the day, creating burrows under the sand. These animals can live between 20 and 800 meters deep and measure up to 24 cm, although the fished specimens measure on average between 10 and 20 cm.
How do we recognize it?
It has an elongated and slender body of pink color,
It has two long, spiny and robust claws,
It has two large black eyes on the sides of its head,
The tail opens like a fan.
It is another very famous crustacean from a culinary point of view, for its very valuable meat, in truth of the scampi, as of many other crustaceans, only the abdominal part is eaten, discarding everything else.
Shrimp
The large shrimp family includes 2000 species that have colonized the most diverse environments: from fresh water to salt water, from cold water to the warmer waters of tropical seas.
This group hosts a great variety of animals: the size varies from a few cm to the 20-25 cm of the shrimp. Some may have claws like the pistol shrimp and cleaner shrimp, or be completely devoid of them like in the majority of other species.
We recognize them by looking at:
The body appears elongated and flattened laterally, with a slightly "chubby" and very mobile abdomen,
It might resemble a mini lobster in shape but the color is totally different, in fact they are very light, pinkish and sometimes, almost transparent.
“We are truly numerous and very different from each other, with a little attention you can easily find us: in the middle of the sand, hidden among the coral crevices, or even inside the mouth of some moray eel!”
Crab
We have known crabs since we were little, they always wander around the rocks or the sea shore, colonizing much of the salt and fresh waters of the planet. They are unique animals of their kind and include thousands of species currently known!
How we recognize them:
They move laterally,
They have the first two front "legs" modified into large claws,
The claws can be different from each other,
They are animals with great character, they tend to react instead of running away from a possible danger.
Furthermore, crabs are among the most ingenious animals that exist, ruthless champions of camouflage and mimicry, they invent the craziest things, even exploiting other animals such as small anemones, like the boxer crab or the decorator crab…
"We have a thousand resources, soon we will tell you in more detail about our extravagant daily activities."
Hermit crab
The hermit crab is one of the cutest animals that can be found on the beaches of our seas and tropical ones. They run back and forth on the beach leaving their funny footprints in the sand!
Recognizing it is very easy: it lives inside a shell!
However, since it is a crustacean with an exoskeleton that grows over time, it needs larger shells as it becomes an adult, so it will change "home" many times during its life!
The hermit crab also has the first part of its body protected by the external skeleton but the second is devoid of it, precisely because it is protected by the shell itself.
“We are curious but also very shy, if we hear any noises we immediately hide inside the house until we feel safe again! Please don't touch us or lift us out of the sand because we die of fear!”
Locust Lobster
The locust lobster are crustaceans that live in both tropical and temperate seas, preferring well-sheltered and protected places such as ravines and small burrows among corals. The difference between magnosas and magnosellas is their size; in fact, the former can reach up to 40 cm while the latter 15 cm.
They are not easy to see because unfortunately they are not doing so well, due to their prized meat, second only to the lobster (it seems), they have been fished in a very massive way.
We can easily recognize them by observing these details:
Their elongated and beautiful robust shape,
The rather dark color with bluish shades in the antennae, legs and fan-shaped tail
It does not have normal elongated antennae but rather with a shape similar to a flattened and horizontal leaf in front of the snout.
Thanks to these strange antennae, it is also called lesse slipper lobster, precisely because when it is fished it emits the same sound as the cicada, rubbing them.
This is another demonstration that animals suffer… So Friendly Fins let's be content to admire their beauty in the water and leave them where they are, it will surely make us more satisfied than causing them gratuitous pain…
Mantis shrimp
The mantis shrimp is another unusual crustacean of modest size, 20 cm long! We warn you that mantis shrimp have a formidable propulsion system, which makes them very fast! Prepare yourself for a merciless war with the camera to immortalize them! We, at the moment, have always lost!
How to recognize it:
It has an elongated shape and a fan-shaped tail with a swimming function.
It has two beautiful protruding eyes and two very robust claws, used as fearsome pincers.
The Mediterranean mantis shrimp has a light, almost pearly color, preferring sandy seabeds.
In tropical seas, however, we find the peacock mantis shrimp, of a unique beauty: with bright colors similar to the male peacock. It lives in the coral reef always well hidden in its den, even if every now and then it delights us with quick walks among the corals!
Plankton
Let’s not forget the base of the ocean food chain! Although we can’t easily see them with the naked eye, most plankton are tiny crustaceans, the most famous of which is the Euphausia superba, which is also the most abundant crustacean in the world!
Come on, is it possible that you don't know the Euphasia superba?
Of course you do, because it is the very famous Krill! The main food of whales and other mysticete cetaceans!!!
“We are the foundation of all the beautiful things the ocean gives you! Without us you would have nothing to explore! Respect us and don’t hate us when we make the water cloudy! We do it for your own good too! Trust me!”
And now Friendly Fins, let's put on our masks and fins, dive into the blue and sharpen our eyesight!
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