GaryWhite
01-15-2008, 03:29 PM
Greetings All !
The Malacostraca (Greek: "soft shell") are the largest subgroup of crustaceans and include most of the animals that non-experts recognise as crustaceans, including decapods (such as crabs, lobsters and shrimp), stomatopods (mantis shrimp) and euphausiids (krill). They also include the amphipods and the only substantial group of land-based crustaceans, the isopods (woodlice and related species). With more than 22,000 members, this group represents two thirds of all crustacean species and contains all the larger forms. The first malacostracans appeared in the Cambrian.
The classification of crustaceans is currently being debated, and the Malacostraca are regarded by some authors as a class and by others as a subclass.
For more ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacostraca
Images & Technical Drawings
Taxonomy
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/images/eumalacostracaclade.jpg
http://biosys-serv.biologie.uni-ulm.de/Sektionsordner/Forschungsordner/london96/fig5.gif
http://biosys-serv.biologie.uni-ulm.de/Sektionsordner/Forschungsordner/london96/fig7.gif
Specimens
http://www.newcritters.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/kiwahirsuta.jpg
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underwater/NewZealand/MarlboroughSounds/Krill/KrillFromAboveWater.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Krill_swarm.jpg/800px-Krill_swarm.jpg
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/sevcik/spiny-lobster--langusta.jpg
http://www.fukubonsai.com/Micro-Lobster%20images/Micro-Lobster_II_photo_72dpi.jpg
:thumbsup:
The Malacostraca (Greek: "soft shell") are the largest subgroup of crustaceans and include most of the animals that non-experts recognise as crustaceans, including decapods (such as crabs, lobsters and shrimp), stomatopods (mantis shrimp) and euphausiids (krill). They also include the amphipods and the only substantial group of land-based crustaceans, the isopods (woodlice and related species). With more than 22,000 members, this group represents two thirds of all crustacean species and contains all the larger forms. The first malacostracans appeared in the Cambrian.
The classification of crustaceans is currently being debated, and the Malacostraca are regarded by some authors as a class and by others as a subclass.
For more ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacostraca
Images & Technical Drawings
Taxonomy
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/images/eumalacostracaclade.jpg
http://biosys-serv.biologie.uni-ulm.de/Sektionsordner/Forschungsordner/london96/fig5.gif
http://biosys-serv.biologie.uni-ulm.de/Sektionsordner/Forschungsordner/london96/fig7.gif
Specimens
http://www.newcritters.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/kiwahirsuta.jpg
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underwater/NewZealand/MarlboroughSounds/Krill/KrillFromAboveWater.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Krill_swarm.jpg/800px-Krill_swarm.jpg
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/sevcik/spiny-lobster--langusta.jpg
http://www.fukubonsai.com/Micro-Lobster%20images/Micro-Lobster_II_photo_72dpi.jpg
:thumbsup: