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Arthropod Defining Traits

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An arthropod has a segmented body, a rigid chitin exoskeleton, and paired, jointed appendages, a plan behind more species than any phylum.

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A crab's jointed legs and hardened exoskeleton let it support its weight and move precisely on land or seafloor.

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An exoskeleton must be molted to allow growth, per Bio 2263 — arthropods cannot enlarge a rigid covering as they grow.