Crustaceans

Hello there! We are crustaceans, and we are so happy to meet you. We are a very big family of animals with relatives all over the world. The most special thing about us is our hard outer shell. It is like we are wearing strong armor all the time. This shell is our superpower because it keeps us safe from bigger animals and helps protect our soft bodies inside. We carry our cozy, safe home with us wherever we go. It is very important to have a strong shell to help us explore our world safely.

Our big crustacean family has so many different shapes and sizes, which is so much fun. Some of us are crabs, and you can see us as we scuttle sideways across the warm sand on the beach. We love to dig and hide. Some of us are tiny shrimp. We are super fast and can zip and zoom through the water like little rockets. We are very small but very quick. Other family members are lobsters, and we are known for our big, strong claws that we use to grab things. No matter if we are big or small, we all have lots of legs. These legs help us walk, swim, and crawl around our watery homes.

Most of us live in the water. Our homes can be in the big, salty ocean where the waves splash, or in freshwater rivers and lakes that are quiet and calm. We have a very important job to do in our homes. We are the ocean’s little cleaners. We help keep the water tidy for all of our fish friends by munching on leftover bits of food we find on the ocean floor. We make sure nothing goes to waste. We are a very important part of our beautiful underwater world, and we love our job. We are still here today, helping to keep the oceans and rivers clean. By keeping our home tidy, we make sure all the other sea animals have a wonderful place to live, too.