Have you ever seen something that is so ugly that it is very cute? (Think about a Shar Pei or a Manatee!) That is how I would describe our humble but very important creature of the sea, the Horsehoe Crab. A species that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs, horseshoe crabs are a very valuable part of our marine ecosystem as well as helping pharmaceutical companies test different drugs in their pursuit to cure various deadly human diseases. Judy Knowles of Guilford loves horseshoe crabs, works with Project Limulus at Sacred Heart University and is on the board of the Menuntatuck Audobon Society. She was on hand recently with other volunteers who helped organize Horseshoe Crab tagging in Guilford at Indian Cove Beach. 
Every May and June, horseshoe crabs congregate along the East Coast of the US with the rising tide in order to mate and lay thousands of eggs. These eggs produce baby horseshoe crabs and also help to feed other important aquatic species, such as the Red Knot, a bird who winters in Argentina and then flies 10,000 miles up to the Arctic for the summer to mate and lay eggs. They stop along the way in Delaware to feast on horseshoe crab eggs which keeps up their energy for the long trip.
The above photo shows horseshoe crabs mating before the female lays her eggs. The female is the larger one and the male is smaller with club shaped pincers underneath so he can grab onto the female's shell for mating. Some people are afraid of horseshoe crabs because of their tails, or they think they have a stinger which is not true. Horseshoe crabs tails are simply levers for them to turn themselves right side up, if they get flipped over somehow on the sand. If their tails are broken or gone, they will die, because they cannot flip themselves back over right side up and their insides will be exposed which are delicious food to certain types of birds and animals. This boy is picking up the horseshoe crab properly, by the side of the shell, like a bowl. Never pick up a horsehoe crab by its tail, as it could break off. A horseshoe crab's stomach is on the other side of his shell; he scoops food into it as he is travelling across the ocean floor. They can swim upside down or right side up.
Horseshoe Crab blood is very valuable. Approximately 250,000 are harvested each year so their blue blood can be used by pharmaceutical companies to ensure that certain drugs are safe for humans . It is required that the horsehoe crab is put back withint generally 72 hours, and most of the horseshoe crabs survive their blood donation, but about 30% don't. Many other horseshoe crabs are harvested for bait, especially the females, so it is important to track and protect them.
I had lots of fun putting a tag on the horseshoe crab that day with the other volunteers so he could be tracked. If you find a horseshoe crab with a tag, please call the phone number on the tag and tell them where you found it. Project Limulus, at Sacred Heart University here in Connecticut, has a computer database that keeps track of our horseshoe crab population so we can make the important effort to keep a healthy poplulation of these creatures, estimated to be between 300,000,000 to 450,000,000 years old! Do you like horseshoe crabs too?
I had lots of fun putting a tag on the horseshoe crab that day with the other volunteers so he could be tracked. If you find a horseshoe crab with a tag, please call the phone number on the tag and tell them where you found it. Project Limulus, at Sacred Heart University here in Connecticut, has a computer database that keeps track of our horseshoe crab population so we can make the important effort to keep a healthy poplulation of these creatures, estimated to be between 300,000,000 to 450,000,000 years old! Do you like horseshoe crabs too?
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