What kinds of food do large malacostracans eat?

Large malacostracans are primarily carnivores and scavengers. Their diet includes a wide variety of small invertebrates and fishes. Additionally, they act as scavengers by consuming the carcasses of larger animals, such as whales, seals, fishes, and other large invertebrates.1

To capture and process this food, these crustaceans utilize specialized appendages. Many species use their thoracic legs, which are often modified into pincerlike structures, to capture, kill, and shred prey. For example, lobsters and crayfish possess massive claws with pavementlike teeth designed to crush hard-shelled prey like snails and clams. Other species, such as stomatopods, have evolved specialized raptorial claws—either toothed and spiny for stabbing soft-bodied prey or swollen and hammerlike for crushing hard-bodied prey. Once captured, food is passed to maxillipeds, or "jaw legs," which move the material to the mouthparts for consumption.1