Brachyura

Uncommon card · No. 100294

Brachyura is an infraorder of decapod crustaceans comprising the true crabs. They typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the thorax. Their exoskeleton is often thickened and hard. They generally have five pairs of legs, and the frontmost pair end in chelae, which function as pincers. They are present in all the world's oceans, in freshwater, and on land, often hiding themselves in small crevices or burrowing into sediment. True crabs are omnivores, feeding on a variety of food, including a significant proportion of algae, as well as detritus and other invertebrates. True crabs are widely consumed by humans as food, with over 1.5 million tonnes caught annually. True crabs first appeared in the fossil record during the Jurassic period, around 200 million years ago, achieving great diversity by the Cretaceous period; around 7,000 extant species in 96 families are known. The Brachyura are the largest of the crab decapod groups with carcinised...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Biopics Dan Boone Honguyenseo Bernard Picton Biopics Philippe Boujon Splette Nosferattus Rushenb, CC BY-SA 4.0