#decapocember

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Decapocember Day 14: Know your Decapods!

Available as a print, just in time for holiday gift-giving!

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December is for Decapods!

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On the first day of Crabmas, my best friend gave to me:

A crab from prehistory (Callichimaera perplexa)

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Decapocember Day 4: The infraorder Anomura is full of decapods called crabs that aren't actually crabs (brachyurans are true crabs). Carcinization led to many of them becoming crab-shaped. One feature common in anomurans is that two of their appendages are significantly smaller than the others, making them look like they have eight limbs.

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Ghost shrimp, ghost crab, and ghost lobster, ready to haunt the local fish market or Red Lobster

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CRUST-aceans: Stone Crab

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Decapocember Day 7: Brachyuran crabs can be found in the ocean, in freshwater, or on land. They are characterized by a pair of pincers up front and very short abdomens that are usually tucked under the thorax.

(No one knows what infraorder Cheese belongs to)

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By popular demand, Happy Prawnzaa!

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CRUST-aceans: Rock Lobster

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Decapocember Day 3: Decapods of the infraorder Achelata are distinguishable by their lack of claws and enlarged second antennae. Spiny lobsters have very long antennae, while slipper lobsters opted for chunky, plate-shaped antennae.

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This year was challenging in expected and surprising ways. Here's to another year of drawing angels, animals, and assorted weird things!

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Decapocember Day 11: Members of the infraorder Polychelida live in depths between 100 and 5000 meters. Since the sun doesn't reach where they live, they are all blind. Polychelids are named after the fact that they either have chelae (claws) on four or all five pairs of legs.

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Decapocember Day 5: Members of the infraorder Astacidea include true lobsters (just like crabs, there are many decapods called "lobsters" that aren't actually lobsters) and crayfish. The first three pairs of legs on astacideans have claws (the first of which are big ol' pinchers).

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Decapocember Day 13: Stenopodidea may look like caridean shrimp, but their third pair of legs are much larger than the others. Some spend their entire lives inside sponges, while others are cleaning symbiotes of fish.

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Decapocember Day 2: You'd think a prawn of the genus Lucifer would be menacing, but it's a lil' plankton-eating fella that glows :3

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Decapocember Day 10: The infraorder Glypheidea was once thought to be extinct, until two species were discovered. The infraorder has existed since the Triassic period!