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Horseshoe crabs are living fossils and are important to modern medicine. You may not have ever seen these humble monsters’, but you may still have a connection.
Joining us to chat and celebrate horseshoe crabs are Dr. Ruth Carmichael, Senior Marine Scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and Lusita Meilana, a researcher at the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, International Research Institute for Maritime, Ocean and Fisheries, IPB University Bogor, Indonesia.
Four Species of Horseshoe Crabs
There are four species of horseshoe crabs. Only one is found in the United States. The other three are found across coastal Asia.
- Limulus polyphemus - found along the eastern coast of North and Central America
- Tachypleus gigas, Tachypleus tridentatus, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda - Indo-Pacific species
Where Horseshoe Crabs Live
Horseshoe crabs are found in the United States and Asia. This map shows the presumed distribution of the four species of horseshoe crabs. It was developed by the University of Delaware Graduate College of Marine Studies and the Sea Grant College Program.
