Horseshoe crabs date back to the Ordovician Period, and haven’t really changed in the intervening 450 million years; these ancient origins have earned them living fossil status. With their hard, dome-shaped shells, horseshoe crabs look like fossils; they molt this armor about 18 times over their life to keep growing. Under the shell, they have five pairs of clawed legs that converge at a central mouth. Instead of teeth, their mouths sport stiff bristles for eating mussels and worms.
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Showing posts with label horseshoe crabs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horseshoe crabs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Horseshoe Crabs
In observance of beach season, today’s post honors one of the sea shore’s oldest inhabitants: the horseshoe crab.
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