Chelae

Common card · No. 336595

A chela () – also called a claw, nipper, or pincer – is a pincer-shaped organ at the end of certain limbs of some arthropods. The name comes from Ancient Greek χηλή (khēlḗ), through Neo-Latin chela. The plural form is chelae. Another common name is claw because most chelae are curved and have a sharp point like a claw. A chela is formed by the modification of at least two distal segments (podomeres). The terminal segment is a mobile claw-like unit to open or close the chela, referred to as the movable finger or free finger. The basal segment, which houses muscles to move the movable finger, bears a claw-like protrusion called the fixed finger that faces toward the retracting (closing) direction of the movable finger, where both fingers contact and work together as a pincer-like structure. Appendages with a chela are termed chelate or cheliform. Terminal podomeres which fold back towards the previous podomere may be called a "subchela" (subchelate). This includes the raptorial front legs...

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