Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The chelicerae are the first pair of appendages in arachnids, located in front of the mouth. These appendages are often specialized as fangs or pincers and are used for capturing and manipulating prey. In spiders, the chelicerae contain venom sacs and are used to inject venom into their prey. Some arachnids, like scorpions, have chelicerae that are used to crush food. The chelicerae are a defining characteristic of the subphylum Chelicerata, which includes spiders, mites, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs.123456

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.