Claws

Crayfish

Pincers - grasping organs that end the legs, jaws or antennae (cords) of some arthropods . With the formation of claws, the extended penultimate segment of the leg (or jaw) is greatly extended on one side, and the last segment, movably articulated with the last but one, is also extended and gains the ability to bend down to the outgrowth of the penultimate. Thus, the last two segments form forceps at the end of the leg or jaw, mostly armed with claws. The most common claws in crustaceans , where you can trace all sorts of transitions from the case when the last segment just bends down to the extended last but one, to the case when we meet a typical claw (as, for example, in crayfish) in the form of forceps. The penultimate segment encloses the strong muscles setting the latter in motion. In addition to crustaceans, claws are common among arachnids (for example, in scorpions , phalanxes , lozhnoskorionov ) and sea ​​spiders . A claw serves to hold the prey, tear it, protect it from enemies and clean the body.