One of three pairs of mouthparts posterior to maxillae on underside of head. Maxillipeds represent highly modified and anteriorly displaced first three pairs of thoracic appendages (thoracopods); basically consist of protopod (bearing endite and epipod), endopod, and exopod. Posterior pair(s) increasingly resemble fourth through eighth thoracopods (pereiopods) and may bear gills (podobranchs).
(M. Stachowitsch, 1992)

Alternative forms for maxilliped : maxillipede, maxillipeds.