Select the one animal that has all of the crustacean traits listed above.
Caribbean spiny lobsters have two pairs of antennae. Their antennae can be longer than the rest of their body! Caribbean spiny lobsters also have an exoskeleton. White-spotted octopuses have tentacles, which are also called arms. White-spotted octopuses can use their tentacles to reach between corals and grab fish. These octopuses have a soft red body with white spots.
Crustaceans are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify crustaceans:
They have two pairs of antennae.
They have an exoskeleton. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Crustaceans have the following traits:
They have two pairs of antennae.
They have an exoskeleton.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A white-spotted octopus has the following traits:
It has a soft body.
It has tentacles.
A white-spotted octopus does not have all of the traits of a crustacean. A white-spotted octopus is a mollusk.
A Caribbean spiny lobster has the following traits:
It has two pairs of antennae.
It has an exoskeleton.
A Caribbean spiny lobster has the traits of a crustacean. A Caribbean spiny lobster is a crustacean.