Pleocyemata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pleocyemata |
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| An adult female Potamon fluviatile carrying her eggs under her tail. | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Superorder: | Eucarida |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata Burkenroad, 1963 |
| Infraorders | |
Imagine a huge family of sea creatures! Pleocyemata is a big group of crustaceans, which are like insects of the sea. This group includes many animals you might know, such as crabs, lobsters, and most types of shrimp. A scientist named Martin Burkenroad first described this group in 1963. His work helped us better understand how these amazing creatures are related to each other.
Contents
How Pleocyemata Are Special
Unique Reproduction: Caring for Eggs
One of the most important things that makes all Pleocyemata members similar is how they care for their babies. After the eggs are fertilized, the female keeps them safe. She holds the eggs attached to her pleopods, which are like small swimming legs under her tail. The eggs stay there, protected, until the tiny baby larvae are ready to hatch. This special way of carrying eggs is actually how the group got its name!
Breathing Underwater: Lamellar Gills
Another cool feature of Pleocyemata is their special gills. Gills are how sea creatures breathe underwater. These animals have gills that look like thin plates or sheets, called lamellar gills. This is different from some other crustaceans that have gills that look more like tiny branches.
The Pleocyemata Family Tree
Understanding Their Relatives
Scientists use something called a cladogram to show how different animals are related, like a family tree! This cladogram shows that Pleocyemata is a close relative, or "sister group," to another group called Dendrobranchiata (which includes prawns). Both of these groups belong to the larger family of Decapoda. This information comes from studies by scientists like Wolfe and his team in 2019.
Template:Decapoda cladogram
Different Types of Pleocyemata
The Pleocyemata group is very diverse, meaning it has many different kinds of animals! Here are some of the main subgroups, called infraorders:
- Stenopodidea: These are often called "boxer shrimp" or "barber-pole shrimp" because of their interesting colors and movements.
- Caridea: This group includes most of the "true shrimp" that you might see in an aquarium or at the market.
- Procarididea: A smaller group of shrimp-like creatures.
- Achelata: This includes the cool spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters, and furry lobsters.
- Polychelida: These are crustaceans that live deep on the ocean floor.
- Glypheidea: A group of lobsters, some of which are only known from fossils today.
- Astacidea: This infraorder contains the well-known true lobsters, reef lobsters, and crayfish.
- Axiidea: These are often called mud lobsters and ghost shrimp, living in burrows.
- Gebiidea: Another group of mud lobsters and mud shrimp, also known for burrowing.
- Anomura: This is a fun group that includes squat lobsters, hermit crabs (who live in shells they find), and their relatives.
- Brachyura: These are the "true crabs," with their wide, flat bodies and sideways walk!
Ancient Ancestors: The First Pleocyemata
The oldest known member of the Pleocyemata group is a fossil creature called Palaeopalaemon. It lived a very long time ago, during a period called the Devonian period. That means these amazing crustaceans have been around for millions of years!
