Food and feeding habit in Crustaceans

An animal requires food to obtain energy and material for growth, maintenance and
reproduction.

Food of the crustaceans:

Food of the crusacceans consists of animal food, vegetable food, dead and decaying
matter.

 Animal foods: Animal food consists of zooplanktons such as the Copepods

(Cyclops.) Cladocerans (Moina & Daphnia,) isopods etc.: small fishes and crusaceans.
Cannibalism is also common in many crusaceans.

 Vegetable food.: vegetable food consists of algae such as Blue green algae
(Cyanophyceae,) red alge (Rhodophyceae,) green algae (Chlorophycae,)
phytoplanktons and aquatic weeds (Hydrilla, Lemma Pistia etc.)

 Dead & Decayed foods: It includes dead crustaceans, molluscs, fishes and also
dead plant matter and Benthos. Benthos, are the organisms that live on the substratum
e.g. Microbenthos- small benthos organisms less than 0.1 mm in size, Meiobenthos-
smaller benthic organisms of 0.1mm to 1 mm size and which pass through 1
millimeter sieve and Macrobenthos- organisms more than 1mm in size.

Feeding habits in Crustaceans:

 Herbivorous: Herbivorous feeding habit means which feeds on vegetable matter
only like aquatic weeds, algae etc.

 Carnivorous : Food comprised of animal matter only is called carnivorous feeding

habit. Carnivorous crustaceans feed upon small fishes, crabs etc.

 Omnivorous : Omnivorous feeding habit means mixed diet composed of both

vegetable matter as well as animal matter.
However, a particular feeding habit in crustaceans consists of filter feeder, predators,
scavengers and parasites. Feeding habits are depending upon the body structure of the
crustaceans.

 Filter feeder. This type of feeding habit is found in most of the Entomostracans
(Ostracods, Copepods group.) Filter feeder crustaceans filter their food with the help
of tiny body hair or setae or their body appendages. These appendages are constantly
moved in water, so along with water current some of the food particles get trapped in
body appendages and then it maneuvered to the mouth.
Examples: Ostracods, Copepods, Hermit crabs, Artemia etc.
 Predators: Many Crustaceans take live animal food by attacking them. Mostly
these crustaceans require animal matter for their feeding. So for feeding purpose the
limbs are specially developed for catching and cutting the prey. Example: Crabs,
Lobsters etc.

 Scavenging: Scavengers feed on dead animals and plant matter; hence,it is also
called as omnivorous feeding habit. It feeds with the help of Chelate legs or with the
help of maxillipeds scrap the dead food matter. Eg. Hermit crab, prawns.

 Parasites: an animal feeding on another without killing it. Considered to be parasite

on the prey. They normaly feed on mucous fluids and blood from the body of the host.
In these parasites either mouth part or their eggs are developed for special attaching
structure. Example: some isopods,crabs,prawn parasites like sacculina and sylon
respectively.

Feeding mechanism in crustaceans

 Crustaceans select their feeding time, choose food items and under some
circumstances not feed at all even food is available. Eg during migration. Crustacean
feeding mechanism depends upon the body structure. Many crustaceans will take live
animal food without having any particular taste. Eg. ostracods, crab etc
 Many cladocerans are benthic deposit feeders ( Mean feeding on organic matter in
deposited sediments). Food particles are scraped up by the trunk limbs, drawn into the
carapace chamber and then passed to the mouth.
 Decapod crustacean e.g prawns feed on living animals and vegetables matter as well
as dead organic matter. Food is grabbed by the chelate of the thorax leg and taken to
the mouth where the maxilliped help in further cutting and pass towards the
mandibles which macerate the food in to finer particles.

 Lobsters are primarily scavengers; their sense of smell plays a major role in locating
food by sensory antennulae. Once food is grabbed, it then passed to the maxilliped
which hold the food against the mandibular blades which chew, macerate and then
ingest it. First the food is masticated by the mandibles and then next passed in to the
foregut known as “ Gastric mill” where it is pulverized into a paste.