Phylum: Arthropoda

 

Norwegian: leddyr

(Skarnsundet - The Trondheim fjord / 39 meters / 11.09.2002)

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Some claim the meek shall inherit the earth. If you ask me, I rather put my money on the arthropods. There may be as many as 30 million, very adaptable species on earth. The by far largest marine group is the crustaceans, sub-phylum Crustacea. Another sub-phylum, Cheliceriformes, includes the sea spiders. There is still some confusion regarding the taxonomy. In [5] the Crustacea and Cheliceriformes are regarded as separate phyla.