ABSTRACT
Crustaceans are remarkably diverse arthropods. Many macroscopic species are known and consumed by humans, but there are also several very small species with important ecological functions. They constitute a paraphyletic group in relation to the Hexapoda, and together they form the group of Pancrustacea. In this chapter, historical aspects of crustaceans are presented, as well as general information on their habitats, diversity of life cycles and anatomy in (primarily marine) aquatic environments. Ontogeny in embryonic and larval development is also presented, followed by the latest data on crustacean genomics and on the molecular tools available today.
This chapter also covers challenging questions in applied research considering the aspects of aquaculture, biofouling and toxicology. Last, fundamental research is presented on the evolution of forms at the level of metazoans or in more restricted groups inside arthropods.
