F) Ecology

Ecology: How do they interact with their environment? How do they feed? How do they move? Are they colonial? 

·         Larger crustaceans (shrimp, lobsters, and crabs) are used as food throughout the world, and are therefore important to human economies
·         Small planktonic crustaceans, such as copepods, water fleas, and krill, are a major link in the marine food chain between the photosynthetic  phytoplankton and larger carnivores such as fish and whales

·         Others are crucial in recycling nutrients trapped in the bodies of dead organisms

·         Crustaceans eat:

o   Many crustaceans are scavengers, feeding on scraps and dead creatures.

o   Crabs, shrimp, and prawns search for food mainly at night and hide in crevices by day.

o   Some crabs and lobsters are active predators, seizing prey in their powerful claws.

o   Barnacles filter tiny creatures from the water using their hairy legs.

o   Woodlice munch on plant remains

·         Crustaceans can be found traveling in groups or individually

·         Move in various ways

o   Crawl

o   Swim