I found this horseshoe crab on the beach on Dunkin' Tuesday. Sadly it was no longer alive which is a terrible shame. Horseshoe crabs have been described as "living fossils", having changed little since they first appeared in the Triassic. I tried to calculate the date but all I can be sure of is that they are at least 50 million years old!
It didn't move so I gingerly turned it over to see for sure and it was gone. Horseshoe crabs are often caught for their blood, which contains Limulus amebocyte lysate, a chemical used to detect bacterial endotoxins. Additionally, the animals are used as fishing bait in the United States and eaten as a delicacy in some parts of Asia. In recent years, horseshoe crabs have experienced a population decline. This is mainly due to coastal habitat destruction and overharvesting. To ensure their continued existence, many areas have enacted regulations on harvesting and established captive breeding programs.
Eventually the tide came in and surrounded the Horseshoe crab and it remained sitting on the sand as the water covered it up.
2 comments:
Thanks for the lesson today. I always remember seeing them as children at Fort Trumbull Beach and they were usually alive. On occasion, I see them at Anchor beach, but they are often already gone.
I also remember seeing some horseshoe crabs at the beach when I was a kid. Never realized that they existed from so long ago. Incredible. Betsey
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