Decapods
ORDER DECAPODA
SPECIES OF Decapods
CLICK ON A CATEGORY BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE!
ANATOMY OF Decapods
OVERVIEW
Not only do prawns, shrimps, crabs and lobsters taste good, but they also all belong to the same group of crustaceans – the order Decapoda! That’s why they are collectively called the decapods, which means “ten feet” in Greek!
TEN LEGS AND TEN FEET!
As suggested by their group name, decapods have ten legs! Like us, decapods use these legs to walk, crawl or swim from place to place.
FUSED BODY PARTS!
While insects have 3 body parts – a head, thorax and abdomen, decapods have only 2 body parts! Their head and thorax have been fused together to form a cephalothorax (literally “head-thorax” in Greek”).
HELMET AND BREASTPLATE!
In some decapods, their cephalothorax is covered by a shield or shell known as a carapace. As the cephalothorax contains vital organs such as the heart, digestive system and brain, the carapace functions as both a helmet and a breastplate to protect the vulnerable cephalothorax!