Order Decapoda

Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp, and Crayfish

Home Class Insecta Class Crustacea Class Diplopoda Class Chilopoda

Size: Very small to large; from a few millimeters to half a meter Antennae: Two pairs
Diet: Other living organisms, decaying matter, and wastes of living things Mouthparts: Mandibles
Habitat: Most aquatic areas Legs: Four pairs
Morphology: Young are similar in appearance to adults Front Wings: Not present
Segmentation: Two body regions, a cephalothorax and an abdomen Hind Wings: Not present
Distinctive Characteristics and Behaviors:

          Decapods possess chelipeds, a pair of legs that have become modified into pinching claws.  They lack normal orientation capabilities, and each time they molt, they must pick up grains of sand.  The sand shifts with gravity, telling them which way is up and which is down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Champaign, IL, 9-18-02, R. Sandretto