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Jun 3, 2022 · Learn about the ancient, armored, and blue-blooded crabs that have survived for millions of years. Discover how they lay eggs, feed shorebirds, and help test medicines.
- They’re living fossils. These ocean critters predate the dinosaurs! The oldest known horseshoe crab species, (Lunataspis aurora) was discovered by scientists in 2008 and is estimated to be nearly 450 million years old.
- No, they’re not actually crabs. Horseshoe crabs are much more closely related to arachnids like spiders and ticks than true crabs. They’re part of the Subphylum Chelicerata and are further classified into Class Merostomata, which includes horseshoe crab species as well as eurypterids (sea scorpions).
- They’ve got legs near their mouth. While their primary sets of legs are used to help them move around, the pair of legs that’s closest to their mouth is actually a set of pincers, which they use to move food closer to their mouth and crush it up to be easier to consume.
- They’re not dangerous. While many people mistakenly associate these animals with rays or skates because of their shape, they’re actually not related and aren’t dangerous at all.
Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only living members of the order Xiphosura. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or crustaceans: they are chelicerates, most closely related to arachnids such as spiders, ticks, and scorpions.
Learn about the ancient, blue-blooded invertebrates that live on the Atlantic coast of North America and Mexico. Find out how they mate, spawn, and face threats from harvesting and habitat loss.
Description. Horseshoe crabs have been around for more than 300 million years, making them even older than dinosaurs. They look like prehistoric crabs, but are actually more closely related to scorpions and spiders. The horseshoe crab has a hard exoskeleton and 10 legs, which it uses for walking along the seafloor.
Learn about the ancient and fascinating horseshoe crabs, their life cycle, ecological importance, and threats. Find out how to report sightings, protect nesting beaches, and use horseshoe crab blood for medical testing.
