Crustaceans Names with Their Pictures | Shellfish Names

In this blog post, you will learn crustaceans names in English with their pictures, categories, and lists of shellfish names. Crustaceans are aquatic animals that mostly live in seas, rivers, and lakes. They usually have a hard shell (exoskeleton), jointed legs, and two pairs of antennae. Common examples include crabs, lobsters, shrimps, prawns, barnacles, and crayfish. Learning these names will help English learners build strong vocabulary related to sea life and food.

What are Crustaceans?

Crustaceans are invertebrate animals that belong to the group Arthropods, just like insects and arachnids. They usually live in water and breathe with gills. Most are important for humans as food and for keeping water clean.

Examples:

• A crab walks sideways on the beach.
• A lobster hides under rocks in the sea.

Main Features of Crustaceans

• Hard shell (exoskeleton)
• Jointed legs (5 or more pairs)
• Two pairs of antennae
• Mostly aquatic (live in water)
• Lay eggs

Categories of Crustaceans

Crustaceans are divided into different groups:

1. Crabs → Blue Crab, King Crab, Hermit Crab
2. Lobsters → American Lobster, Spiny Lobster
3. Shrimps and Prawns → Cleaner Shrimp, Tiger Prawn
4. Crayfish → Common in rivers and lakes
5. Barnacles → Attach to rocks, ships, and whales
6. Krill → Small shrimp-like animals in oceans
7. Woodlice (Isopods) → Land crustaceans living in damp soil

Common Crustaceans Names with Pictures

Here are common crustaceans with descriptions and pictures:

1. Crab → A popular crustacean with a hard shell and strong claws, found on beaches and oceans.
2. Blue Crab → A swimming crab with blue claws, common on the Atlantic coast.
3. King Crab → A very large crab, valued as seafood, found in cold seas.
4. Hermit Crab → Lives inside empty shells for protection, mostly found near beaches.
5. Fiddler Crab → Known for its one very large claw, used to attract mates.
6. Lobster → A large crustacean with long antennae and strong claws, often eaten as seafood.
7. Spiny Lobster → Has no big claws but a very hard spiny shell for protection.
8. Crayfish → Looks like a small lobster, lives in rivers and lakes.
9. Shrimp → Small crustacean, important seafood, swims in groups in oceans.
10. Prawn → Similar to shrimp but usually larger, common in Asian cooking.
11. Cleaner Shrimp → Cleans parasites from fish in coral reefs.
12. Mantis Shrimp → Famous for its strong claws, one of the fastest strikes in the animal world.
13. Krill → Tiny shrimp-like animals, main food for whales and penguins.
14. Barnacle → Small crustacean that sticks to rocks, boats, and whales.
15. Goose Barnacle → Long stalk barnacle often found on floating wood.
16. Woodlouse (Pill Bug) → A land crustacean that rolls into a ball when disturbed.
17. Sowbug → Similar to woodlouse but cannot roll into a ball.
18. Ghost Crab → A fast-running crab that digs burrows on sandy beaches.
19. Horseshoe Crab → Not a true crab but often grouped with crustaceans, very ancient species.
20. Fairy Shrimp → Tiny freshwater crustacean found in ponds and temporary pools.

Crustaceans Names with Categories

Category	Examples
Crabs	Blue Crab, King Crab, Hermit Crab, Fiddler Crab, Ghost Crab
Lobsters	American Lobster, Spiny Lobster
Shrimps/Prawns	Shrimp, Prawn, Cleaner Shrimp, Mantis Shrimp
Crayfish	Common Crayfish, Signal Crayfish
Barnacles	Barnacle, Goose Barnacle
Krill	Antarctic Krill, Pacific Krill
Woodlice (Isopods)	Woodlouse, Sowbug, Pill Bug