Malacostraca dictionary definition | malacostraca defined

malacostraca

Proper noun

A taxonomic class within the subphylum Crustacea — most crustacea - crabs, lobsters, shrimps etc., which have soft shells after moulting.

Origin

From malaco- ("soft") + Ancient Greek ὄστρακον (ostrakon, “shell”).

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"malacostraca." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/malacostraca>.

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The science of insects began with Aristotle, who included in a class "Entoma" the true insects, the arachnids and the myriapods, the Crustacea forming another class ("Malacostraca") of the "Anaema" or "bloodless animals."
Orders: (a) Malacostraca: Decapoda, Stomapoda, Amphipoda, Laemodipoda, Isopoda; (b) Entomostraca: Branchioloda, Poecilopoda, Trilobitae.
Classes: Arachnida, Insecta (including Sub-Classes M y riapoda, Hexapoda), Crustacea (including Sub-Classes Entomostraca, Malacostraca), Epizoa (Epizootic Crustacea), Annellata (Chaeto p ods and Leeches), Cirripedia.
Malacostraca (q.v.).
Under the heading Crustacea the Entomostraca have already been distinguished not only from the Thyrostraca or Cirripedes, but also from the Malacostraca, and an intermediate group of which the true position is still disputed.

malacostraca