The head supports four pairs of appendages, the antennules, antennae, mandibles and maxillula (or first maxilla). There is debate as to whether the fifth pair of appendages belong to the head, or are the first pair of thoracic appendages because of a lack of a clear boundary between the head and thorax.
Crustacean limbs, with the exception of the antennule and caudal ramus, are derived from a biramous limb (a limb consisting of two main branches). The base consists of a coxa and basis, which together form the protopod (also called a protopodite). Endites are protrusions on the inner edge of the protopod. The two branches, typically segmented, are called the exopod (= exopodite) and endopod (=endopodite), the exopod being the outer most one.
It is uniramous (consisting of a single branch) in all groups.
The antennule consists of between five and eight segments.
The antennules of some groups, such as some Cypridoidea, are long and slender, and are flexible enough to be used for swimming in conjunction with the antennae. When the ostracod is at rest, the long setae are fanned out to sense movements in the water.
In other groups, the antennules are much more robust, and used for moving through sediments.
It originates from the head, either side of the forehead and and is biramous, meaning that it has two branches (the endopod and exopod) originating from its basis.
The antennae are used for crawling (in conjunction with the thoracic appendages), and in some groups for swimming (in conjunction with the antennules). It is also used to drag food to the mouth region, and in some groups it is sexually dimorphic. Males have a different arrangement of setae and claws compared with the females.
It originates from the head, either side of the forehead and and is biramous, meaning that it has two branches (the endopod and exopod) originating from its basis.
There are two main parts to the mandible, the coxa and the palp. The coxa has teeth on its inner side, and these protrude into the oral cavity to masticate the food from the side. The palp is used to sweep food towards the mouth cavity.
The first segment of the palp is the basis. The rest of the palp is the endopodite. The small branchial plate protruding from the basis is probably the exopod.
The general structure of the maxillula is very similar in most groups, although some of the anterior parts (endopod and endites) are reduced in some taxa, and very rarely the branchial plate is missing (some Entocytheridae).
In some groups, the endopod is reduced into a non-segmented palp in the females, and a functions as a clasper in the males, used during copulation.
Typically, the fifth limb has a branchial plate (probably an exopod), similar but much smaller than the branchial plate of the fourth limb, the maxillula.
It is a walking limb in most groups, but can be a clasping appendage (male Platycopina), reduced (female Platycopina, some Myodocopida) or absent (some Myodocopida).
When it is a walking limb, it typically has four or five segments, and usually ends with a claw, although in some groups it can end with two claws (e.g. Superfamily Terrestricytheroidea).
The first segment of the sixth limb is the protopod, while the other segments are the endopod.
Similar to the sixth limb, the first segment of the seventh limb is the protopod, while the other segments are the endopod.
It typically has a stiff ramus or base with a number of setae and claws protruding from it. Internally, the caudal ramus is connected to the caudal ramus attachment.
The caudal ramus is used for locomotion, while in some groups it is also used to manoeuvre the male sexual organs during copulation.
In some groups, the caudal ramus can be reduced or absent altogether in the adults, but it is present in the early juvenile stages of these groups.
The hemipenes are complex structures that in the Cypridoidea unfold and hook onto the female's genital lobes. In that group there are no internal muscles, and the movement and unfolding is caused by hydraulic pressure created by a large muscular pump (called the Zenker organ) inside the body. In other groups there are muscles inside the male sexual organs, and these are responsible for movement and the pumping of the sperm into the females.
The female sexual organs usually consist of a pair of rounded lobes housing the openings of the vaginas and oviducts. Sometimes there are protrusions from the lobes, which are used by the males to hook onto during copulation.
During copulation ostracods use both sets of sexual organs simultaneously.