shrimp, prawn

蝦 is composed of 虫 (insect, creature) and 叚 (borrow, false). 虫 refers to creatures other than humans, while 叚 is a pictograph of two hands grasping a cliff wall, meaning untrue or illusory. Thus, 蝦 refers to a multi-legged, segmented crustacean whose body appears semi-transparent when swimming in water, creating a hazy, shadowy impression that feels illusory or unreal.