Glossary of Crustacean Terms
Muscular, segmented body part, posterior to the thorax; the edible "tail" portion of a lobster or shrimp
Number of individuals in a particular area
Segmented worm in Phylum Annelida; includes earthworms, marine worms, and leeches
Toward the head end; opposite of posterior
Elongated, movable sensory structure found on the head
Sensory structure, smaller than the antennae and located more toward the midline of the body than the antennae
Posterior opening of the digestive tract
Limb; leg, for example
Folded-under abdomen of a crab
Member of Phylum Arthropoda having a hard exoskeleton and jointed legs; includes insects, crustaceans, and arachnids
Paddle-shaped posterior leg on a swimming crab
On or associated with the bottom of a body of water
Female crab carrying eggs
Gills composed of thin plates, constructed like the pages of a book
Bycatch Reduction Device; a device installed in a net to allow the escape of non-targeted species
Blue crab that has split at the back of the carapace in preparation for molting
Non-targeted species that are caught with the targeted species
Dorsal covering of the body in many arthropods
Animal that eats only animals
"Forearm" portion of a crab claw
Body segment consisting of the head and thorax fused together
Small feeding appendage found in Chelicerates
Arthropod of Subphylum Chelicerata; includes horseshoe crabs, spiders, and scorpions
Claw of a crustacean; it is actually a modified walking leg
Polysaccharide that makes up the exoskeleton
of an arthropod
Level of scientific classification; below Phylum and above Order
Average weather of an area, usually averaged over at least 10 years
Batch of eggs extruded during a single spawning
To clot
All individuals of a species hatched or born during a certain time period
All the species within a particular area
Eye formed of multiple lens components
Large, heavy claw used for crushing hard-shelled prey
Primarily aquatic arthropod of Subphylum Crustacea; includes crabs, isopods, krill, and barnacles
Crustacean of Order Decapoda having ten legs; includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp
Movement of individuals away from the place of birth
A measure of the number of different things; e.g., species diversity is the number of different species in an area
Deoxyribonucleic Acid; the molecule that carries the genetic code
Broadest level of scientific classification; above Kingdom
Toward the back of the body; opposite of ventral
Mating pair of crabs
To capture and pull along
Open area in the wire of a crab trap that allows escape of crabs smaller than the legal size
Semi-enclosed body of water where freshwater and saltwater meet
Change over time
External skeleton; the shell of a crustacean
Species not native to an area
To use or take advantage of
Level of scientific classification; below Order and above Genus
Organism that strains water to capture small food particles
Population of aquatic organisms that supports a commercial or recreational industry
Amount of time and equipment devoted to catching a target species
Time of the year when a species can legally be caught
Stone crab that has recently molted; if the claws are put in a pot of water they will float
Accumulation of organisms attached to an underwater object; e.g., barnacles and algae
Measure of the proportion of genetic differences between individuals, populations, or other taxonomic classes
Science dealing with heredity and variation of traits
Level of scientific classification; below Family and above Species
Organ for grinding food; usually found in animals lacking teeth or mandibles
Specific environment in which an organism lives; will include the physical space and environmental conditions
Total quantity (usually number or pounds) of an organism removed from an area over a specific amount of time
Molecule in blood that is based on copper, giving it a bluish color; found in most crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, and mollusks
Animal that eats only plants
Offspring resulting from the mating of two different species
Idea or working explanation that can be tested
When members of two populations mate and produce offspring; interbreeding of two different species will produce hybrid offspring
Associated with the area of the shore between low and high tide lines
Any animal that is not a member of Subphylum Vertebrata; an animal without a backbone
Male blue crab
Young, immature life stage
Level of scientific classification; below Domain and above Phylum
Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate; found in horseshoe crab blood, this substance clots in the presence of bacterial toxins; it is used to test for contamination
Quantity (usually pounds or numbers) of individuals brought to shore
Early life stage of some animals; this stage often looks very different than the adult
Toward the sides; opposite of medial
Only a certain number of licenses are awarded for a particular fishery
Government plan developed to ensure the sustainable harvest of a species
Mouthpart used for crushing hard prey
"Hand" portion of a crab claw
When an organism is capable of reproduction
Toward the center; opposite of lateral
Transitional stage between a crab larva and a juvenile
"Upper arm" portion of a crab claw
Movement from one area to another
Member of Phylum Mollusca having a soft body and usually a shell; includes clams, snails, and octopuses
To shed an exoskeleton; this process is necessary to allow for growth
Rate at which organisms are removed from the population; death rate
Sudden change in the genetic material that can be inherited by offspring
Active at night
Individuals produced from a mating
Single lens component of a compound eye
Animal that eats both plants and animals
Hard cover protecting gills
Level of scientific classification; below Class and above Family
When harvesting of a population exceeds the population's ability to replenish itself
Bearing eggs; i.e., a crab carrying eggs is considered ovigerous
Organism that lives on and harms another organism
Blue crab in the process of molting
Shrimp of Family Penaeidae; includes pink, brown, and white shrimp
Sensory structure that detects changes in light levels
A measure of the level of acidity of a solution
Level of scientific classification; below Kingdom and above Class
Thin, tapered claw used for tearing
Blue crab that is 3-6 days from molting
Organisms that cannot swim or are very weak swimmers and are at the mercy of the currents
All individuals of a species found in a specific area
Crab of Family Portunidae; includes blue crabs and pass crabs
Toward the tail end; opposite of anterior
Animal that captures its prey live
Immovable component of the pinching part of a claw
Posterior leg in horseshoe crabs; it is fringed and used for crawling on land
Blue crab that is 1-3 days from molting
Entry of individuals into a particular population, life stage, age, or size category; e.g., recruitment into the stone crab fishery occurs when crabs reach legal size
To regrow a body part that has been lost; crabs can regenerate lost claws
When two populations are incapable of interbreeding due to physical, temporal, or biological barriers
Saltiness of the water; usually measured in parts per thousand (o/oo)
Immature female blue crab
Animal that feeds on dead organisms or organic matter
Number of males versus females in a population
Crab that has recently molted and has not yet hardened its new exoskeleton
Mature female blue crab
To release sperm and eggs
Most specific level of scientific classification; below Genus
Egg mass (in crustacean biology)
A population of individuals that are managed as a single unit within a fishery
Year-to-year, the number or weight of animals that can be harvested without reducing the stock
Appendage on the abdomen; in crustaceans, females attach eggs to their swimmerets
Classification and naming of organisms
Turtle Excluder Device; device designed to allow turtles to escape from nets
Tail portion of a crustacean
Final molt, usually at maturity, after which the animal no longer molts
Hypothesis that has substantial evidence to support it
Central body part to which the walking legs are attached
Poisonous substance produced by a living organism
Any factor that can change
Toward the front of the body; opposite of dorsal
Blue crab that is 1-2 weeks from molting
All individuals of a population spawned and hatched during a year; a generation or cohort
Crab larva