A carapace's a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids (crabs and their relatives and spiders and their relatives) as well as vertebrates such as chelonians, order Testudines, turtles and tortoises. Crustaceans In crustaceans, the carapace's a part of the exoskeleton that covers the cephalothorax. It's particularly well developed in lobsters and crabs. The carapace functions as a protective cover over the c… (More on Carapace)