True shrimp comprise an infraorder with the subphylum Crustacea, a group of arthropods (phylum Arthropoda) that includes the familiar crabs, lobsters, barnacles, copepods, krill, water fleas, and crayfish. Crustaceans are characterized by having branched (biramous) appendages, an exoskeleton made up of chitin and calcium, two pairs of antennaethat extend in front of the mouth, and paired appendages that act like jaws, with three pairs of biting mouthparts.
Shrimp was once a dish reserved for the rich but is now popular seafood and widely consumed. You can eat shrimp hot from the barbecue grill or cold as an appetizer, and its taste can be described as prawn or crab-like, but more ocean-like.
