Subclass Xiphosura

The Xiphosura are the horseshoe crabs. The bodies have an anterior prosoma and a posterior opisthosoma, or abdomen. The upper part of the prosoma is covered by a carapace, while the lower part has five pairs of walking legs. There is a pair of chelicerae at the mouth. There is a long caudal spine at the rear of the the opisthosoma.