maxilliped

invertebrate anatomy

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June 30, 2026

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A maxilliped is an appendage found in crustaceans, typically comprising the first one to three pairs situated behind the maxillae. These appendages function as accessory mouthparts, helping to pass food to the chewing parts of the head. In some crustaceans, like copepods, the maxillipeds are the first pair of trunk limbs used for collecting food. In decapods, there are usually three sets of paired maxillipeds, and their segments are fused within the cephalothorax. The term "maxilliped" literally means "jaw foot".123

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crustacean
Appendages
These limbs are called maxillipeds. In the decapods there are three sets of paired maxillipeds. In the copepods the maxillipeds are followed by four pairs of swimming legs; a fifth pair is sometimes highly modified for reproductive purposes and is sometimes reduced to a mere vestige. Behind the decapod…
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These limbs are called maxillipeds. In the decapods there are three sets of paired maxillipeds. In the copepods the maxillipeds are followed by four pairs of swimming legs; a fifth pair is sometimes highly modified for reproductive purposes and is sometimes reduced to a mere vestige. Behind the decapod…
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malacostracan
Food and feeding
These maxillipeds (or “jaw legs”) pass food to the masticatory, or chewing, mouthparts of the head proper. The thoracic segment of the first pair of maxillipeds is usually fused to the head, forming a cephalon. In stomatopods the first five pairs are called maxillipeds, but only…
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These maxillipeds (or “jaw legs”) pass food to the masticatory, or chewing, mouthparts of the head proper. The thoracic segment of the first pair of maxillipeds is usually fused to the head, forming a cephalon. In stomatopods the first five pairs are called maxillipeds, but only…
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