Q: Would it be accurate to call a shrimp a "sea cockroach"? Why or why not?
A: One thing that makes biology extremely confusing is the use of common names. I am sure you could probably come up with at least a dozen different common names for shrimps, but it does not necessarily mean that the name is accurate. Both shrimps and cockroaches are classified in the phylum Arthropoda (animals with jointed appendages). But both shrimps and cockroaches are classified differently within the phylum Arthropoda. Cockroaches are classified in the class Insecta, which is the largest group of animals on earth with more than 750,000 described species and is mainly a terrestrial group. Shrimps are classified in the subphylum Crustacea, containing 38,000 known species and are found mainly in the salt and freshwater. Shrimps and cockroaches are not related closely and are both highly specialized animals that are adapted for living in completely different habitats. Perhaps the common name, "sea cockroach" came from how common shrimps, I am not certain. To answer your question I would have to say no, it is not accurate to call a shrimp a "sea cockroach", using latin genus and species names is the most accurate and universal naming system for living organisms.