shrimp
Sign in to saveA shrimp (: shrimp (US) or shrimps (UK)) is a common name typically used for crustaceans with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – usually decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchiata, although some crustaceans outside of this order are also referred to as "shrimp".
AI overview
A shrimp is a small crustacean with an elongated body that swims as its primary way of moving around, and the term usually refers to creatures in two specific scientific groups, though some other crustaceans are also called shrimp. Shrimp are commonly known and widely recognized across English-speaking regions, where they go by different plural forms depending on whether you're in the US or UK.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Classification
- ''Shrimp'' vis-à-vis ''prawn''
- Taxonomy
- Fossils
- Description
- Habitat
- Behaviour
- Mating
- Species
- Decapods
- Non-decapods
- Human uses
- History
- Commercial species
- Fishing
- Farming
- As food
- Aquaria
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A shrimp (: shrimp (US) or shrimps (UK)) is a common name typically used for crustaceans with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – usually decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchiata, although some crustaceans outside of this order are also referred to as "shrimp".
More narrow definitions may be restricted to Caridea, to smaller species of either of the aforementioned groups, or only the marine species. Under a broader definition, shrimp may be synonymous with prawn, covering stalk-eyed swimming crustaceans with long, narrow muscular tails (abdomens), long whiskers (antennae), and slender, biramous legs. They swim forward by paddling the swimmerets on the underside of their abdomens, although their escape response is typically repeated flicks with the tail, driving them backwards very quickly ("lobstering"). Crabs and lobsters have strong walking legs, whereas shrimp typically have thin, fragile legs which they use primarily for perching.