Home>>Column>>issue

Is a sea scorpion an insect or a fish (detailed introduction)

2023-12-26 18:05:45 37

The sea scorpion is neither an insect nor a fish. It is actually a marine arthropod that belongs to a group similar to crustaceans. The following is a detailed introduction to sea scorpions:

The sea scorpion, scientific name Scorpionida, is a type of arthropod belonging to the class Scorpiones. They are not insects, because insects belong to the class Insecta, with the characteristics of six legs and three body segments; nor are they fish, because fish belong to the phylum Vertebrates, with the characteristics of a spine and gills.

Sea scorpions mainly live on the seafloor or ocean reefs in tropical and subtropical waters. Their external features include a body divided into a cephalothorax and a tail, a hard shell covering the back, and a pair of long and strong pincers on the head for grabbing prey and for self-defense. Sea scorpions have eight legs, each with burrs and bristles that help them walk on the seafloor and grab prey.

Sea scorpions feed on small aquatic organisms such as small fish, shrimp and other plankton. They grab their prey with their pincers and then use their stingers to inject venom into them.

Like land scorpions, sea scorpions have a pair of venomous stingers located at the end of their tails. Although sea scorpion venom does not generally pose a significant threat to humans, the venom of some species can cause moderate or severe irritation and pain.

Sea scorpions are arthropods that have evolved to adapt to the aquatic environment. They have unique physiological characteristics and behavioral habits to adapt to survival in the marine environment. Therefore, although the name contains the word "scorpion", sea scorpions are different from land scorpions in the traditional sense. They are an independent type of marine life.


animal tags: