In trade, using the right name keeps both sides talking about the same item. Lobster, mantis shrimp and shrimp are all crustaceans, yet they differ in ways you can see at once.
Lobster
A large body, a thick shell and a meaty tail. Many species carry a long, strong pair of antennae reaching forward.
Mantis shrimp
A flat body, broad tail segments and claws that fold like a praying mantis. In taxonomy, mantis shrimp do not belong to the same order as shrimp and lobster.
Shrimp
A curved body, a thinner shell, a pointed rostrum and many swimming legs under the tail. This is the most varied of the three groups in species and size.
