Crustacean animals are water animals with hard outer shells and jointed legs that usually live in oceans, rivers, lakes, and other aquatic environments. In this blog post, you will learn crustacean animals names in English with their pictures and understand the different types of crustaceans found in nature. From crabs and lobsters to shrimp and crayfish, each animal has its own appearance, habitat, and characteristics. Learning these crustacean names helps readers understand English vocabulary related to sea animals, marine life, and aquatic creatures commonly studied in books, schools, and educational activities.
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.
Features of Crustacean Animals
- Hard shell (exoskeleton)
- Jointed legs (5 or more pairs)
- Two pairs of antennae
- Mostly aquatic (live in water)
- Lay eggs
Common Crustaceans Names with Pictures
Here are common crustacean animals with helpful information and pictures:
- Crab
A popular crustacean with a hard shell and strong claws, found on beaches and oceans. - Blue Crab
A swimming crab with blue claws, common on the Atlantic coast. - King Crab
A very large crab, valued as seafood, found in cold seas. - Hermit Crab
Lives inside empty shells for protection, mostly found near beaches. - Fiddler Crab
Known for its one very large claw, used to attract mates. - Lobster
A large crustacean with long antennae and strong claws, often eaten as seafood. - Spiny Lobster
Has no big claws but a very hard spiny shell for protection. - Crayfish
Looks like a small lobster, lives in rivers and lakes. - Shrimp
Small crustacean, important seafood, swims in groups in oceans. - Prawn
Similar to shrimp but usually larger, common in Asian cooking. - Cleaner Shrimp
Cleans parasites from fish in coral reefs. - Mantis Shrimp
Famous for its strong claws, one of the fastest strikes in the animal world. - Krill
Tiny shrimp-like animals, main food for whales and penguins. - Barnacle
Small crustacean that sticks to rocks, boats, and whales. - Goose Barnacle
Long stalk barnacle often found on floating wood. - Woodlouse (Pill Bug)
A land crustacean that rolls into a ball when disturbed. - Sowbug
Similar to woodlouse but cannot roll into a ball. - Ghost Crab
A fast-running crab that digs burrows on sandy beaches. - Horseshoe Crab
Not a true crab but often grouped with crustaceans, very ancient species. - Fairy Shrimp
Tiny freshwater crustacean found in ponds and temporary pools.

Crustaceans Names by Their Types
| 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 |
A to Z List of Crustaceans Names in English
Here is an A to Z list of crustacean animals:
A: Antarctic Krill, American Lobster
B: Blue Crab, Barnacle
C: Crab, Cleaner Shrimp, Crayfish
D: Dungeness Crab, Deep-Sea Shrimp
E: Emerald Crab, European Lobster
F: Fiddler Crab, Fairy Shrimp
G: Ghost Crab, Goose Barnacle
H: Hermit Crab, Horseshoe Crab
I: Isopod, Irish Lobster
J: Japanese Spider Crab, Jonah Crab
K: King Crab, Krill
L: Lobster, Langoustine
M: Mantis Shrimp, Mud Crab
N: Norway Lobster, Neon Shrimp
O: Oregon Crayfish, Oyster Crab
P: Prawn, Pill Bug, Pacific Krill
Q: Queensland Prawn
R: Rock Lobster, Red King Crab
S: Shrimp, Spiny Lobster, Snow Crab, Sowbug
T: Tiger Prawn, Tanner Crab
U: Urchin Crab
V: Velvet Crab
W: Woodlouse, Whale Barnacle
X: Xanthid Crab
Y: Yellow Prawn
Z: Zebra Crab, Zooplankton (includes tiny crustaceans)
FAQs about Crustacean Animals
Crustaceans are water animals with a hard shell, jointed legs, and antennae, such as crabs, lobsters, and shrimps.
No, crabs are crustaceans, not insects. They belong to a different group of animals.
The Japanese Spider Crab is the largest crustacean with very long legs.
Crabs, lobsters, prawns, and shrimps are the most popular seafood crustaceans.
Most live in water, but some like woodlice live on land in damp areas.
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