You crustaceans they are invertebrate animals that have articulated legs and a very hard and resistant outer shell. They can be found both in aquatic environments (marine or freshwater) and on land, such as armadillos (who live hidden under rocks or rotting logs), the beach armadillos (who live burying themselves in the sand of the beach) and the beach cockroaches (found among rocks in the sea).
Few species of crustaceans live on dry land
Some species of crustaceans live attached to rocks or ship hulls, such as the barnacles, which bear the name of sessile animals. There are other species that walk on the sand at the bottom of the ocean, such as the crabs and the Cameroon, and there are also species that live swimming in the sea, but that like to stay hidden between rocks and corals on the seabed, such as the lobsters.
Most crustaceans live in marine environments
You crabs they are crustaceans that manage to survive in and out of the water, with many of them making their dens in mangroves. Some crab species like to feed on algae, while others feed on live or dead fish.
O hermit crab, also called hermit crab, it is a crustacean that it doesn't have a carapace like the others and, for that reason, it shelters in the abandoned shell of some mollusk. It is common to see a sea anemone on the shell of this crab, which uses it for its defense, as the anemone has cells with toxic substances that scare away predators.
The hermit crab shelters in abandoned mollusc shells
You crustaceans they are of great importance in the aquatic food chain, as most aquatic animals survive because they feed on small crustaceans. Animals such as shrimp, lobsters, crabs and crabs are also highly appreciated by humans.
By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
