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Malacostraca

Malacostraca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Subphylum:Crustacea
Class :Malacostraca
Orders
not necessarily a complete list:
Leptostraca
Stomatopoda
Bathynellacea
Thermosbaenacea
Mysidacea
Cumacea
Amphipoda
Isopoda
Tanaidacea
Euphausiacea
Amphionidacea
Decapoda
Peracarida
The Malacostraca are the largest subgroup of crustaceans, and include most of the animals that non-experts recognise as crustaceans, including crabs, lobsters, shrimps, mantis shrimps and krill. They also include the huge group of amphipods, and the only substantial group of land-based crustaceans, the isopods (woodlice or sowbugs and related species).

The classification of crustaceans is currently being debated, and the Malacostraca are regarded by some authors as a class and by others as a subclass.

Their characteristics include: