UC Berkeley
Crustaceans are arthropods that have taken limb specialization to extremes! For almost any tool you can think of, there’s a crustacean whose limbs do the same job. Click on a tool to learn about the crustacean whose limbs perform a similar job.
Click on a tool to learn about the crustacean whose limbs perform a similar job:
Barnacle photo provided by George Brooks © California Academy of Sciences; Krill photo provided by Uwe Kils; Remipede image provided by Dr. Thomas M. Iliffe; Coconut crab image provided by L-Bit & Ian; Caprella image provided by Steve Gardner; Stomatopod image provided by Dr. Roy Caldwell
As you’ve seen, crustaceans boast a virtual toolbox of specialized appendages. Different lineages have evolved an amazing variety of limbs that are adapted for specific functions. Even a single animal may have an impressive array of tools within its set of appendages.
