.png)
WHAT ARE CRUSTACEANS?
The word “crustacean” comes from Latin and means “crusted ones”. Crustaceans are a group of animals that wear their skeletons on the outside, not the inside. This is called an exoskeleton. These exoskeletons are divided into parts, with soft joints in between which allows them to move around
CRUSTACEAN CHALLENGE!
Where else do you use the word “crust”? Why do you think this is?
Within the crustacean family, there is a group known as decapods. They are called this because they have 10 legs. The prefix “dec-” means 10, which you can see in words like “decade” (10 years) or decagon (10 sided-shape).
CRUSTACEAN CHECK!
Does this crab have ten legs?
Decapods include lobsters, crabs, shrimp, prawns and crayfish. They all have antennae, which helps them sense what’s around them. Decapods come in all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes. Some even look like they have come from another planet...
WHERE DO DECAPODS LIVE?
.png)
DID YOU KNOW?
The Oklahoma Cave Crayfish live in some caves in Oklahoma. They are colourless and have no eyes. Spooky!
.png)
Most decapods live in the sea but you can find them in all sorts of places. Some live in rivers, swamps, and lakes. Some live in caves, up trees, and even up mountains!
We use the word “crust” to describe the tough, outer part of something - like the crust of a pizza, or the crust on a slice of bread, or the earth’s crust.
