Table of Contents
Which of these appendages are cephalic?
The cephalic region contains six basic paired appendages: (1) compound eyes; (2) first antennae, which are biramous in the malacostracans; (3) second antennae; (4) mandibles; (5) first maxillae; and (6) second maxillae.
What appendages do crayfish use to eat?
Of the eight pairs of appendages on the cephalothorax, the first three are maxillipeds, which hold food during eating. The chelipeds are the large claws that the crayfish uses for defense and to capture prey. Each of the four remaining segments contains a pair of walking legs.
Which four sets of appendages assist the crayfish with consuming?
The chelipeds are able to HOLD, TEAR, and manipulate any food that the crayfish wants to consume. The crayfish has four pairs of appendages called walking legs. The walking legs are used for mainly locomotion in the crayfish. Feathery gills, for respiration, are attached to the appendages of the thorax.
What is the main difference between cephalothorax and abdomen?
Cephalothorax is an anterior region while the cephalothorax is a posterior region of the body. Cephalothorax is a fusion of two main body regions, whereas the abdomen is one distinctive region.
The mandibles, or jaws, crush food by moving from side to side. Two pairs of maxillae hold solid food, tear it, and pass it to the mouth. Of the eight pairs of appendages on the cephalothorax, the first three are maxillipeds, which hold food during eating.
What are the two main regions of the crayfish?
Like all crustaceans, a crayfish has a fairly hard exoskeleton that covers its body. As shown in Figure 1, the body is divided into two main parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen. The cephalothorax consists of the cephalic (head) region and the thoracic region.
Is the crayfish most vulnerable?
It is most vulnerable from the ventral side because the dorsal side is protected by the carapace. The crayfish usually molts, or sheds its exoskeleton, twice a year. It does this so it can rebuild its hard carapace for protection.
Why do crayfish have one big claw?
Breeding in crawfish tends to occur in the fall, when they reach sexual maturity. Female crawfish display different reproductive preferences based on certain male traits. Females prefer large claws in males; males use their claws (chelae) against opponents and to attract, secure and position females for mating.
How does the crayfish use each for eating?
Crayfish are omnivorous, eating just about anything they can find or catch, dead or alive. Large food is held and torn to pieces in the large pincers and conveyed to the mouth by the smaller specialized legs near the head.
What is the function of the cephalothorax?
The cephalothorax or prosoma is the anterior most of the two body parts of arachnids (the other part being the abdomen or opisthosoma). The cephalothorax features the eyes, mouth and legs of the arachnid. The cephalothorax is more rigid than the abdomen and contains the muscles used to operate the limbs.
Which part of the crayfish is more flexible?
The abdomen is flexible and the segmentation is visible here. The appendages of the crayfish attach to both the cephalothorax and the abdomen.
How do you know if a crayfish is a male or female?
Determining Crawfish Gender Males tend generally to be larger in size than females, with larger chelae and narrower abdomens. Male crawfish carry an extra set of these swimmerets, which are enlarged and hardened. Females possess a small hole just behind their swimmerets.