Marine Invertebrate Collections - Taxonomic groups An overview
of major taxonomic groups held in the Australian Museum's Marine
Invertebrate Collections Crustacea (includes crabs, lobsters,
amphipods, prawns, and isopods) These animals belong to the
phylum Arthropoda (which includes crustaceans, insects and
spiders). Crustaceans include lobsters, crayfish, prawns, crabs,
seed shrimps, amphipods, isopods, ostracods, barnacles, slaters,
pill bugs. These animals are among the most widespread and
diverse group of invertebrates, and the larger malacostracan
crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, prawns) are economically valuable.
Although originally aquatic, many crustaceans, such as slaters
(isopods) and beach-hoppers (amphipods), are adapted to life on
land. Characteristics of crustaceans - body segmented with a
hardened shell - limbs generally with two branches - two pairs
of antennae - body with 7 or more pairs of sometimes very
different appendages for feeding, locomotion and sex -
respiration by gills The Australian