Horseshoe Crab

This is the shell of a horseshoe crab which I found on the beach on Cape Cod last October and brought home, packed carefully, in the suitcase - (well it does make a change from shells!)

It has evolved little in the last 250 years. They have survived because of their hard, curved shell which makes is difficult for predators to overturn them to expose their soft underbellies.


They grow by molting and will emerge 25% larger with each molt. After 16 molts (usually between 9 & 12 years) they will be fully grown adults.

Horseshoe crabs have 2 compound eyes on the top of their shells with a range of about 3 feet. The eyes are used for locating mates.

Horseshoe crabs can swim upside down in the open ocean using their dozen legs (most with claws) and a flap hiding nearly 200 flattened gills to propel themselves.

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