Horseshoe Crab: Secrets

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Published on March 31, 2017 9:44:13 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5vX3WBAf6k

Duration: 1:22

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Thorough examination of the appendages underneath the skirt or shell of a Horseshoe Crab.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Merostomata
Order: Xiphosura
Family: Limulidae

Horseshoe crabs are marine arthropods of the family Limulidae and order Xiphosura or Xiphosurida. They are invertebrates meaning that they lack a spine. Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow ocean waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. They occasionally come onto shore to mate. They are commonly used as bait and in fertilizer. Tetrodotoxin may be present in the roe of species inhabiting the waters of Thailand. Because of their origin 450 million years ago, horseshoe crabs are considered living fossils.