カブトエビ

Meanings

tadpole shrimp; shield shrimp

usually written using kana alone

Refers to small freshwater crustaceans of the order Notostraca, especially Triops species, known for their shield-like carapace. Often kept as pets or studied in schools.

田たんぼでカブトエビを見みつけた。
I found a tadpole shrimp in the rice paddy.
カブトエビは生いきた化か石せきと呼よばれている。
Tadpole shrimps are called living fossils.

Kanji

兜helmet, head piece
蝦shrimp, prawn, lobster
海sea, ocean
老old man, old age, grow old

Related words

ミジンコ
ミジンコ (water flea) is a much smaller freshwater crustacean, while カブトエビ is larger with a distinct shield shape.
ホウネンエビ
ホウネンエビ (fairy shrimp) is another freshwater crustacean often found in similar habitats, but lacks the shield-like carapace.

Written forms

カブトエビUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this organism; usually written in kana.
かぶとえび
Hiragana spelling, also common.
兜かぶと蝦えび
Kanji spelling using 兜 (helmet) and 蝦 (shrimp); rarely used.
兜かぶと海老えび
Alternate kanji spelling using 海老 (shrimp); rarely used.

Etymology

Compound of 兜 (kabuto, 'helmet') + 海老/蝦 (ebi, 'shrimp'), from the helmet-like shape of the carapace. The exact derivation is straightforward; the word is a modern descriptive compound.