A group of crustaceans, mainly crabs and hermit crabs, that have a short abdomen or tail tucked under their body.
From Greek 'brachys' (short) + 'oura' (tail), literally meaning 'short tail.' This scientific classification term emerged in the 18th century when naturalists were categorizing crustaceans.
When you see a crab, that short curled-up section underneath its shell is actually its tail—brachyourans have evolved to tuck it so tightly under their body that most people don't even realize it's there! It's one of nature's cleverest armor-plating strategies.
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