What is "decapoda"

Podophthalmia \Pod`oph*thal"mi*a\, n. pl. [NL. See Podophthalmic.] (Zo["o]l.) The stalk-eyed Crustacea, -- an order of Crustacea having the eyes supported on movable stalks. It includes the crabs, lobsters, and prawns. Called also Podophthalmata, and Decapoda.

Decapoda \De*cap"o*da\ (d[-e]*k[a^]p"[-o]*d[.a]), prop. n. pl.

1. (Zo["o]l.) The order of Crustacea which includes the shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.

   Note: They have a carapace, covering and uniting the somites of the head and thorax and inclosing a gill chamber on each side, and usually have five (rarely six) pairs of legs. They are divided into two principal groups: Brachyura and Macrura. Some writers recognize a third (Anomura) intermediate between the others.

2. (Zo["o]l.) A division of the dibranchiate cephalopods including the cuttlefishes and squids. See Decacera.

Decacerata \De*cac`e*ra"ta\, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. de`ka ten + ke`ras a horn.] (Zo["o]l.) The division of Cephalopoda which includes the squids, cuttlefishes, and others having ten arms or tentacles; -- called also Decapoda. [Written also Decacera.] See Dibranchiata.

The Decapoda or decapods (literally "ten-footed") are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns, and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is estimated to contain nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera, with around 3,300 fossil species. Nearly half of these species are crabs, with the shrimp (about 3000 species) and Anomura (including hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, squat lobsters (about 2500 species) making up the bulk of the remainder. The earliest fossil decapod is the Devonian Palaeopalaemon.