Introduction

Introduction

What is a horseshoe crab?

The name "horseshoe crab" is a half correct description of the animal. The animal's upper body (i.e. prosomatic carapace) really looks like a horseshoe, but it is not a true crab. It has pincer-like legs and book-shaped gills but different from the crabs, it has no jaws nor antennae. In fact, the horseshoe crab is a relative of the spider and scorpion.

Generally the horseshoe crab's body is distinctly divided into three parts, an anterior large prosoma, a posterior, small and hexagonal opisthosoma as well as a long tail (telson).