Summary

Have you ever wondered what crab you saw scuttling on the beach? Or what kind of prawn you are eating? Marissa might be able to tell you! Collection Manager Dr Marissa McNamara works with the Queensland Museum’s crustacean collection. Crustaceans include familiar animals like crabs, prawns, and lobsters, as well as more obscure creatures, such as barnacles and fish lice. Learn all about this diverse group of invertebrates, which has over 60,000 described species found in a variety of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats.

A selection of museum specimens will be on display, including: a giant isopod, a bizarre scavenger from the depths of the ocean; a mantis shrimp from Moreton Bay, a deadly predator that kills its prey with its lightning-quick appendages; and alpheids, shrimp that use their claws to create underwater shockwaves! If there are crustaceans in your local area that you are curious about, feel free to take a photograph of them and bring it in!