How does a shrimp and a krill differ?

The first way to distinguish krill from shrimp is to look at their bodies. Krill are comprised of three segments, the head, thorax and abdomen. The thorax and abdomen are covered by the carapace, a protective shell. Krill have two antennae and several pairs of "legs" in the thoracic region, varying according to species. read more

Krill have 3 segments, while shrimp have 2. Krill live up to 10 years, while shrimp live up to 2. Krill are herbivores, while shrimp are omnivores. Here is le Shrimp: As you can see, the head is fused to the carapace. read more

Big eyes, long tentacles, dangling little legs -- it could be a shrimp or a krill. Both are crustaceans, but belong to different orders. Shrimp are the Natantia suborder of the Decapoda order; krill are of the Euphausiacea order. There are approximately 85 species of krill and more than 1,900 species of shrimp. read more

A more fundamental difference but one impossible to appreciate in a single specimen is that female prawns do not brood eggs but shed them into the currents where they develop independently. It would therefore make sense to call all member s of the Penaeidae "prawns" and members of the Caridean "shrimps" and this is what most Australians do. read more