ANSWER KEY
Crustaceans: NAME THAT CRITTER
Crustaceans are a large, diverse group of organisms that all have a hard exoskeleton, 2 pairs of antennae, and a WORD BANK
series of appendages or limbs that can be modified for American lobster feeding, swimming, or walking. Local crustaceans in New Fiddler crab York waters include lobsters, crabs, shrimp, water fleas, Bay barnacle copepods, krill, barnacles, and more. One well known Blue crab local species, the horseshoe crab, is actually NOT a crab Mantis shrimp Spider crab at all.; they are more closely related to ticks and spiders!
Directions: For each animal photo, write the species name from the word bank in the large orange box and in the small blue box, match the letter that goes with the correct description for that animal.
Credit: ArtworkAssociates Credit: sketchite.com Credit: Ticketmeister
A American lobster B Blue crab F Mantis shrimp
Credit: Brown et al. (1979) Credit: mages © Clipart.com Credit calvertmarinemuseum.com C Fiddler crab E Spider crab C Bay barnacle
A. This animal lives in cold, shallow C. This animal cannot swim, and is found E. This animal is known to be slow, waters with rocky bottoms to hide attached to hard surfaces, including on sluggish, and not aggressive, preferring from predators. They can grow very the shells and bodies of other organisms to scavenge for food that is already large, and are a common food item. in shallow water. They can open their dead. They are also known to Many people love the meat in the body, extending their feeding legs to "decorate" their shells with sponges or large, thick claws. catch food that floats by. seaweeds to deter predators.
B. This animal prefers warmer water D. This animal lives in a sandy burrow, F. This animal lives in sandy burrows and and can both swim and crawl along often in a colony. They hide in their is a notorious nocturnal predator. Their the bottom. They are aggressive burrows, coming out mainly to feed and spear-like claws are usually folded up predators, and are also a popular mate. The females have two small claws, under their body but can be rapidly food item; many people like to eat but the males have one large and one unfolded to impale their prey with great them whole when the shell is soft. small claw. force.