How do crustecans breathe under water? They do not seem to have gills and they breathe air.?

Question

A 3rd grader asked the question. The science specialist couldn't answer it and I couldn't find anything on the web, so I'd really appreciate being able to pass the answer on to this inquisitive mind.

Answer 1

crustaceans like lobsters, shrimp, crayfish, water fleas, barnicles DO have gills under their carapace, under the cephalothorax chitinous exoskeleton. They are also able to "breathe" on land for a little while too, but need the tidal changes soon to get themselves all moist again. Best respiration is o2 co2 exchange with wet gills when under water, however. Lobsters and crabs on land can foam wet bubbles a bit near their gills to cut down on the amount of drying air causes while they are exposed from low tides. Barnicles will shut their shells up so they can keep their gills moist and safely enclosed from from drying out.

Answer 2

Well, it's great to know that such a young child is interested in such a question. I myself have always been as inquisitive.

I found some information on crustecans, but nothing on their breathing. My hypothesis is that different crustecans (eg. crabs, lobsters) all breathe in a different way. The information I did find I will give you.

Some Characteristics of Crustaceans:

* A hard exoskeleton made of calcium - no internal skeleton.
* The head has two compound eyes, two pairs of antennae, and three pairs of mouthparts.
* A pair of green glands excrete wastes near the base of antennae.
* The abdominal segments have swimmerets (swimming legs)
* The sexes are separate. Eggs are attached to the swimmerets (swimming legs) of the female. The first pair is enlarged in the male (it is used to pass sperm to the female).
* The tail is fan-shaped, and ends in uropods and a telson.
* The circulatory system is open; there is no heart and the "blood" is pumped by vessels into sinuses, and does not flow in a closed loop).
* The nervous system consists of a primitive ventral nerve cord and ganglia system (similar to those of an earthworm).

Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Subphylum Crustacea, Classes:

* Class Cephalocarida (primitive, shrimp-like, discovered in 1955) - 9 species
* Class Branchiopoda (with flattened gill-carrying appendages) - about 800 species, including brine shrimp, fairy shrimp, water fleas, etc.
* Class Malacostraca - 18000 species, including lobsters, shrimp, crabs, woodlice, isopods, amphipods, krill, etc.
* Class Maxillopoda (ostracods, copepods, barnacles)
* Class Remipedia (primitive crustaceans discovered in submerged caves by Jill Yager in 1980)


I hope this information will be of some help to this young scientist in your class.

Answer 3

you need to probably study extra about gills previously you attempt this and drown. short answer no, no you heavily isn't waiting to nor will you ever be able to respire underwater through reducing your neck and retaining your breathe for 10min.

Answer 4

The do have gills, you just can't see them

Answer 5

they have holes in their sides and that allows gas exchange. it runs along the body in a lateral line (from head to tail).

Answer 6

They do have gills, or gill-like structures.

Answer 7

Not all crustacians breathe air.