How do crustaceans protect and support themselves?
1 Answer
the main crustacean protection remain in their exoskeleton.
depending on their way of life ( bentique or pelagique, aquatique or terretrial) their tegument support them.
Explanation:
the exocuticule of crustacean in very thick, made of chitin and calcium carbonate, it is far more resistant and heavy than the general insects exoskeleton( see the illustration from Brusca Brusca 2nd edition, 2003)
This differences between the weight of the exoskeleton might be one of the explanation of why most crustacean remain in an aquatic habitas where their weight is easier to support and why insect succesfully colonised earth.
The large variety of crustacean tegument which let them exploite a large variety of habitats : walking leg to crawl on the benthos ( crabs , lobster ect...) or appendix to swim ( ex: mysidiaceae and many others)
the exoskeleton is moved through muscle attached to the inside of the exoskeleton to flex their limbs which grant them with remarkable strength!
