Crustaceans

Crustaceans
Phylum: Crustacea

Shrimps, prawns, lobsters and crabs belong to the order Decapoda. Like all crustaceans, they are covered with protective exoskeleton and have articulated legs. They have five pairs of legs as reflected in their name - "decapoda" meaning "ten-legged". The front pairs are usually transformed into claws and are used to manipulate objects.

Shrimps, prawns and lobsters have a long abdomen that ends with a tail. Crabs have a small abdomen folded under the carapace. Hermit crabs have a longer abdomen, but it is not covered with shell plates and is usually protected inside a snail shell or a tube. Mantis shrimps are different from decapods and belong to the order Stomatopoda. They have a shorter carapace, longer abdomen and differently organized legs compared to decapods. A pair of front legs are designed somewhat similarly to praying mantis' and capable of smashing protective shells of their prey with tremendous speed and force (much faster than a praying mantis). Mantis shrimps have amazing compound eyes divided into two hemispheres by an equator belt.

Being one of the most diverse groups of animals, crustaceans are not easy to spot on the reef. Many of them are small, well camouflaged or transparent and the others are nocturnal. They usually hide in the reef during the day and abandon their hiding places at night. Night dives offer the best opportunity to see these animals in action.
Many crustaceans live in close symbiotic relationship with sponges, corals, mollusks, echinoderms etc.
Crustaceans are abundant in South East Asian waters.

Crustaceans Phylum: Crustacea Shrimps, prawns, lobsters and crabs belong to the order Decapoda. Like all crustaceans, they are covered with protective exoskeleton and have articulated legs. They have five pairs of legs as reflected in their name - "decapoda" meaning "ten-legged". The front pairs are usually transformed into claws and are used to manipulate objects. Shrimps, prawns and lobsters have a long abdomen that ends with a tail. Crabs have a small abdomen folded under the carapace. Hermit crabs have a longer abdomen, but it is not covered with shell plates and is usually protected inside a snail shell or a tube. Mantis shrimps are different from decapods and belong to the order Stomatopoda. They have a shorter carapace, longer abdomen and differently organized legs compared to decapods. A pair of front legs are designed somewhat similarly to praying mantis' and capable of smashing protective shells of their prey with tremendous speed and force (much faster than a praying mantis). Mantis shrimps have amazing compound eyes divided into two hemispheres by an equator belt. Being one of the most diverse groups of animals, crustaceans are not easy to spot on the reef. Many of them are small, well camouflaged or transparent and the others are nocturnal. They usually hide in the reef during the day and abandon their hiding places at night. Night dives offer the best opportunity to see these animals in action. Many crustaceans live in close symbiotic relationship with sponges, corals, mollusks, echinoderms etc. Crustaceans are abundant in South East Asian waters.



Mantis shrimp	Peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus	Spearer mantis shrimp Lysiosquillina lisa	Mantis shrimp Odontodactylus latirostris

Coleman shrimp Periclimenes colemani	Harlequin shrimp Hymenocera elegans	Spiny tiger shrimp Phyllognathia ceratophthalma	Emperor shrimp Periclimenes imperator

Crinoid shrimp Periclimenes amboinensis	Crinoid shrimp Periclimenes sp.	Starfish shrimp Periclimenes soror	Crinoid shrimp Periclimenes cornutus

Hinge-beak shrimp Rhynchocinetes durbanensis	Reticulated hinge-beak shrimp Cinetorhynchus reticulatus	Marbled shrimp Saron marmoratus	Leander plumosus

Alpheus sp. crinitus	Anemone shrimp Periclimenes brevicarpalis	Commensal shrimp Periclimenes holthuisi	Commensal shrimp Periclimenes tosaensis

Banded coral shrimp Stenopus hispidus	Cleaner shrimp - Urocaridella sp.	Cleaner shrimp - Urocaridella sp.	Commensal shrimp Periclimenes venustus

Commensal shrimp	Shrimp - Palaemonella pottsi	Commensal shrimp Periclimenes sp.	Commensal shrimp Periclimenes sp.

Coral shrimp - Vir euphyllius	Dasycaris zanzibarica or Pontonides unciger	Periclimenes kororensis	Bumblebee shrimp Gnathophyllum americanum

Thor amboinensis	Commensal shrimp Latreutes anoplonyx	White-banded cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis	Skeleton shrimp - Caprella sp.

Sand prawn - Metapenaeus sp.	Stripe-leg spiny lobster Panulirus femoristriga	Lobster Panulirus cf. versicolor	Xenocarcinus tuberculatus

Commensal shrimp Allopontonia iaini	Crinoid squat lobster Allogalathea elegans	.Hairy squat lobster Lauriea siagiani	Squat lobster - Galathea sp

White-spotted hermit crab Dardanus megistos	Hermit crab Calcinus laevimanus	Hermit crab Trizopagurus strigatus	Anemone hermit crab Dardanus pedunculatus

Majid crab Hoplophrys oatesii	Zebra crab Zebrida adamsii	Boxer crab - Lybia tessellata	Hermit crab Aniculus cf. miyakei

Coral crab Porcellanella sp.	Coral crab	Coral crab	Square crab Quadrella maculosa

Coral crab - Tetralia sp.	Harlequin crab Lissocarcinus orbicularis	Unidentified crab	Elbow crab - Cryptopodia sp.

Anemone spotted porcelain crab Neopetrolisthes maculata	Ghost / Sand crab Ocypode ceratophthalma	Swimming crab	Swimming crab in jellyfish

Carpilius maculatus	Unidentified crab	Round coral crab	Box crab - Calappa philargius

Decorator crab Camposcia retusa	Decorator crab	Elbow crab - Harrovia elegans	Sponge crab

Arrowhead crab	Spider crab Achaeus spinosus	Spider crab - Naxioides taurus	Orang-utan crab - Oncinopus sp. often called Achaeus japonicus

	Spider Crab Xenocarcinus conicus

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