Armored Warriors of the Ocean – Shrimps, Lobsters, and Crabs
In general people’s understanding of marine shrimps, lobsters, and crabs comes from the dining table and seafood markets.
In fact, high economic value shrimp, lobster, and crab species account for only a very small number of the medium- and large-sized crustacean species in the oceans. Many shrimp, lobster, and crab species that look strange or that have majestic features have no chance of appearing in ordinary fish markets due to poor flavor or scarcity. It follows then that the general public would have no way of knowing about them.
Even marine biologists are surprised by the appearance of these crustaceans when fished out of the sea, as they look like alien creatures from a sci fi film. (From the perspective of these organisms, those alien creatures in sci fi films were modeled after them.) Our understanding of their ecology and natural history can be said to be at a kindergarten level. Currently, the scientific community can only try and piece together the truth about these armored warriors from collected specimens, sporadic deep-sea observations, and knowledge of similar species that are more familiar.
