Arthropoda is a phylum of the kingdom Animala. The name translates to "those with jointed feet." Arthropods have legs and segmented bodies that provide easy locomotion. Unlike the previous phyla, arthropoda is not restricted to the ocean. There are many arthropod species that live on land. In fact, over 80 percent of the world's known living animal species are arthropods. We will mainly be covering marine arthropods, but for those curious, some common land arthropods are scorpians, spiders, and all insects. Since they have jointed limbs, arthropods can hunt their prey by hiding and chasing them down. Their advanced movement also allows them to escape predators by running, swimming, and digging holes with their arms. Some arthropods' have limbs adapted to the food they eat. For example, a crab's claw is powerful enough to crack open a mollusk shell, which is what they tend to feed on. Some predators and prey of common arthropods are:
- Octopi (predators of lobsters)
- Clams (prey of lobsters and crab)
- Birds (predators of lobsters and crabs)
- Sea Stars (predators and prey of crabs)
- Fish (predators of lobsters, crabs, and crayfish)
- Sharks (predators of lobsters and crayfish)
- Crabs (predators of sea stars, brittle stars, and sea cucumbers)
- Fish (prey of lobsters, crab, and crayfish)
- Otters (predators of crayfish)
- Sand Dollars (prey of crabs)
- Plants (prey of crabs and crayfish)
Crab
Arthropoda species and classes:
- American Lobster (Crustacea)
- Horseshoe Crab (Merostomata)
- Blue Crab (Crustacea)
- Isopods (Crustacea)
- Barnacles (Thecostraca)
- Krill (Crustacea)
- Shrimp (Crustacea)
- Crayfish (Crustacea)
- Sea Spiders (Pycnogonida)
- Copepods (Crustacea)
- Honey Bee (Insecta)
- Varroa Destructor (Arachnida)
- Flying Crab (Crustacea)
- Deathstalker/Palestine Yellow Scorpian (Arachnida)
- Centipedes (Chilopoda)
- Sand Crab/Mole Crab (Malacostraca)
- Fruit Fly (Insecta)
- Beetles (Insecta)
- Butterfly Fan Lobster (Malacostraca)
- Horned Ghost Crab (Crustacea)
- Silverfish (Insecta)
- Hawaiian Happy-face Spider (Arachnida)
- Flathead Lobster (Malacostraca)