Species Type:
Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Horseshoe crab
Size:
Horseshoe crabs can grow to one foot (30 centimeters) in length.
Diet:
Horseshoe crabs prey on smaller marine invertebrates that live in the sand.
Range & Habitat:
These horseshoe crabs range from the Gulf of Maine to Florida. Young animals live near beach fronts and tidal flats and later venture out to the edges of continental shelves.
Details:
Horseshoe crabs have domed shells and long tails that help them flip back over if turned upside down. These “living fossils” have evolved little in 350 million years. Every spring, thousands of horseshoe crabs gather to spawn, and their eggs feed migrating shorebirds. Compounds in horseshoe crab blood are used in medical research to detect bacterial contamination.