Horseshoe crabs
Limulus polyphemus
Horseshoe
crabs are found in intertidal to subtidal areas from 0 feet to 75 feet. The
unmistakable body shape of the horseshoe crab has not changed in thousands and
thousands of years, a tribute to the evolutionary masterpiece. The body of the
horseshoe crab is covered in a hard reddish-brown to grey shell. It has five
pairs of multipurpose legs, used for walking, swimming, and moving food into
the mouth. Female horseshoe crabs can reach 2 feet in length, whereas the males
are smaller. When horseshoe crabs grow, they have to molt, or shed their shell
and grow a newer, bigger one. The horseshoe crabs mouth is located in the
middle of the animal on the bottom. The crab uses its legs to bring food into
their mouth.
-Thomas
Glover
Works cited:
Wikipedia,
. N.p.. Web. 19 Jul 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_crab>.
Gosner,
Kenneth L. Atlantic Seashore: A field guide to sponges, jellyfish, sea
urchins, and more. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books, 1978. Print.
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