Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 35

horseshoe crab

A bottom-living, marine arthropod related to the arachnids (subphylum: Chelicerata) not to the true crabs (subphylum: Crustacea); body divided into a prosoma, covered by a horseshoe-shaped carapace, and an opisthosoma, carrying six pairs of legs and five pairs of gills; also known as king crabs. (Class: Merostomata. Order: Xiphosura.)

iHorseshoe crab

Pair of horseshoe crabs
Conservation status

User Comments Add a comment…

horsetail [next] [back] horseshoe bat