Anatomy

The Chelicera in Detail

Located at the anterior of limulus, the chelicerae are the appendages the horseshoe crab uses primarily for putting food into its mouth.

Like the other appendages, the chelicerae have a large number of sensory cells (in their case, between 3 and 4 million!) which provide chemosensory input to the brain. (See Nervous System for more detail.)


Illustrations of appendages by Jeffrey Shultz