The Atlantic Horseshoe

Crab
Rajani Duong Honors Biology
Period IV

What in the world is it?

Its a marine chelicerate arthropod.Which
means its closely related to ticks, spiders, and
scorpions.
Actually they aren't really crabs at all.
They are found in the Gulf of Mexico and along
the northern Atlantic coast of North America.
One of the main areas of migration is Delaware
Bay.
Sometimes they get lost and wind up in Europe
on occasion

What if they were removed?

If the horseshoe crab was removed from the
ecosystem it would be really bad.
Horseshoe crabs are food for the American
Loggerhead turtle, eel, whelk, conch, and
various shoreline birds such as the red knot.
Many organisms rely on the crabs including
algae, flat worms, molluscs, barnacles and
bryozoans. Because the carapace is a home for
these organisms to live on.

Background Check
Is the horseshoe crab a native species? Yes ,yes
it is.
A native species is a species living in an area
with entirely with natural reasons and without
human intervention.
While a non-native species is the opposite its a
species that has been introduced, intentionally
or accidentally by humans and may become
invasive to the natural environment.

Background Check cont.

Is the horseshoe crab a invasive species? No, no
it isn't.
An invasive species is a non-native species to
the ecosystem, and causes harm to the
ecosystem.
While a non-invasive species is not necessarily
a native species to the ecosystem. It just means
that the species doesn't cause harm to the
ecosystem.

What is an invasive species?

An example of an invasive species is the Red
Lionfish. It lives along the North Atlantic Coast,
the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. It
originally was found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Two adaptations that enable it to successfully
live in its' non-native habitat is the lack of
natural predators and its venomous spines
located along its body.

Adaptations of the Crab

Similar to starfish, horseshoe crabs have the

ability to regrow lost limbs.
They have 5 pairs of book gills that allow them
to breathe underwater and on land for a short
period of time given that the gills are moist.
Their telson( tail or caudal spine) is similar to a
rudder and allows them to steer and flip itself
over if necessary.
Also their thick curved shell which prevents
predators from eating them.

Horseshoe Crab DNA

Unlike most organisms horseshoe crabs
contain the protein hemocyanin, unlike
humans who we contain the protein
hemoglobin.
When hemocyanin is oxygenated it turns blue
unlike hemoglobin turns red.
They only contain one type of blood cell:
amoebocyte which contains a clotting factor
known as coagulogen and used in LAL tests to
detect endotoxins and bacterial diseases.

Reproduction
Horseshoe crabs reproduce sexually.
As similar to sea turtles the smaller male(s)
attach themselves to the female's back and
swim to shore.
The female would dig a hole every few feet or so
and lay their eggs and as they are passing over
the male or males would fertilize them.

Energy
Horseshoe crabs obtain energy by eating other
organisms. Then obtain energy throgh cellular
respiration.

Sources
wikipedia
horseshoecrab.org
beach-net.com