What creatures have four kinds of legs?
[ 2006-03-14 08:38 ]
| Decapod crustaceans
(1) (shrimps, crayfish (2), and lobsters (3)) have 14 pairs of
"legs", divided into four different groups.
The first three pairs, just behind the animal's mouthparts
(4), are "eating legs" (maxillipeds (5)), used to manipulate
food before passing it forward to the mouthparts. They are
usually hidden beneath the head/thorax shield (6) (carapace).
Next are five pairs of "walking legs" (pereopods (7)). In
some crustaceans, the first pereopod is equipped with a large
claw (8). Some pereopods have gills (9) attached near their
bases.
Behind these are five pairs of "swimming legs" (pleopods
(10)), used for swimming slowly forward. Some crustaceans
carry their eggs among their pleopods.
Finally, there is one pair of "tail legs" (uropods (11))
that are part of the tail fan, which is used for sudden
backwards flight from predators (12) and other potential
threats. |
(1) 十足甲殼類
(2) 小龍蝦
(3) 龍蝦
(4) (昆蟲等的)口器
(5) (甲殼動物的)顎足,(昆蟲)顎肢
(6)
頭胸甲
(7) 甲殼動物的胸部附器
(8) 鉗,螯
(9)
腮
(10)腹肢
(11)尾肢
(12)掠食者 | | |
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