Facts About Horseshoe Crabs

The American horseshoe crab is a common sight on Florida's beaches. Many people have seen
horseshoe crabs but do not realize they are looking at one of the oldest animals on the planet. Often
called "living fossils," horseshoe crab ancestors can traced back through the geologic record to
around 445 million years ago, 200 million years before dinosaurs existed. Horseshoe crabs are
actually not true crabs at all, being more closely related to arachnids (a group that includes spiders
and scorpions) than to crustaceans (a group that includes true crabs, lobsters, and
shrimp). Four species of horseshoe crabs exist today. Only one species, Limulus polyphemus, is
found in North America along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Maine to Mexico. The other three
species are found in Southeast Asia. Despite inhabiting the planet for so long, horseshoe crab
anatomy has changed very little over time because it has proven successful for the animal's
survival. Horseshoe crabs have a tank-like structure consisting of a front shell called the prosoma, a
back shell called the opisthosoma, and a spike-like tail called a telson. Many people view horseshoe
crabs as dangerous animals because they have sharp tails. In reality, they are harmless. The
horseshoe crab's tail is used primarily to flip the animal upright if it is overturned. Though the
horseshoe crab's shell is hard, it is very sensitive to stimuli. The crabs are especially sensitive to
light. They have 10 eyes, a pair of compound eyes on the prosoma, and "photo receptors" in other
areas, primarily along the tail.
Horseshoe crabs are known for their large nesting aggregations, or groups, on beaches particularly in
mid-Atlantic states such as Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland in the spring and summer, where
their populations are largest. Horseshoe crabs can nest year-round in Florida, with peak spawning
occurring in the spring and fall. When mating, the smaller male crab attaches himself to the top of the
larger female’s shell by using his specialized front claws, and together they crawl to the beach. The
male fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them in a nest in the sand. Some males (called satellite
males) do not attach to females but still have success in fertilizing the female's eggs as they crowd
around the attached pair. Most of this nesting activity takes place during high tides around the time
of a new or full moon.
Horseshoe crab larvae emerge from their nests several weeks after the eggs are
laid. Juvenile horseshoe crabs resemble adults except that their tails are proportionally smaller. The
young and adult horseshoe crabs spend most of their time on the sandy bottoms of intertidal flats or
zones above the low tide mark and feed on various invertebrates.
Why are horseshoe crabs important?
Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the ecology of coastal communities. Their eggs are the
major food source for northward-migrating shorebirds, including the federally-threatened red
knot. These shorebirds have evolved to time their migrations to coincide with peak horseshoe crab
spawning activity, especially in the Delaware and Chesapeake bay areas.
Many fish species as well as birds have been observed feeding on horseshoe crab eggs in
Florida. Adult horseshoes serve as prey for sea turtles, alligators, horse conchs and sharks.
Horseshoe crabs are also extremely important to the biomedical industry because their unique,
copper-based blue blood contains a substance called "Limulus Amebocyte Lysate", or "LAL".
This compound coagulates in the presence of small amounts of bacterial toxins and is used to test for
sterility of medical equipment and virtually all injectable drugs. Anyone who has had an injection,
vaccination, or surgery has benefitted from horseshoe crabs! Research on the compound eyes of
horseshoe crabs has led to a better understanding of human vision.
Horseshoe crabs are also utilized in several fisheries. The marine life fishery collects live horseshoe
crabs for resale as aquarium, research, or educational specimens. The American eel and whelk
fisheries use horseshoe crabs as bait along many parts of the Atlantic coast.
Threats to horseshoe crabs and research efforts
Horseshoe crab numbers are declining throughout much of the species’ range. In 1998, The Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission developed a Horseshoe Crab Fishery Management Plan that
requires all Atlantic coastal states to identify horseshoe crab nesting beaches. Currently, with the help
of the public, biologists at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute are trying to document nesting sites
of horseshoe crabs throughout the state. If you see horseshoe crabs and would like to report a
sighting, please visit the Report Sightings page for more information.

Highlight color indication:

Assertion of fact- bright green
Assertion of convention- yellow
Assertion of opinion- turquoise
Assertion of preference- pink
Assertion of fact:
1. The American horseshoe crab is a common sight on Florida's beaches.
This sentence is an example of assertion of fact because it has a verified observation. You
cannot say it’s a common sight unless there are many ocular observations proving its
presence.
2. Often called "living fossils," horseshoe crab ancestors can traced back through
the geologic record to around 445 million years ago, 200 million years before dinosaurs
existed.
It is an example of assertion of fact because it is a result of research. You cannot trace its
taxonomic root without doing research. Clearly, the author did some research or gathered
some information about its geologic record.

3. The horseshoe crab's tail is used primarily to flip the animal upright if it is overturned.
It is an assertion of fact because as an author, writing an article about and entitled “facts about
horseshoe crab”, you cannot just published an article if you haven’t verified it beforehand.
4. Though the horseshoe crab's shell is hard, it is very sensitive to stimuli. The crabs
are especially sensitive to light.
This is an example of assertion of fact because how would the author know that the horseshoe
crab’s shell is hard and it is very sensitive to stimuli if he hasn’t done some research.
5. They have 10 eyes, a pair of compound eyes on the prosoma, and "photo receptors" in
other areas, primarily along the tail.
This is an assertion of fact because the statement used by the author was proven by scientific
researches. For example, for the first time you met a horseshoe crab, you cannot easily or
directly say that it has ten eyes, unless you took it for study in the laboratory.
Assertion of convention:
1. Horseshoe crabs are actually not true crabs at all, being more closely related to
arachnids (a group that includes spiders and scorpions) than to crustaceans (a group
that includes true crabs, lobsters, and shrimp).
This sentence is an example of assertion of convention because it is based on morphological
classification made up by scientist and is acceptable to the scientific community.
2. Most of this nesting activity takes place during high tides around the time of a new or
full moon.
It is an example of assertion of convention because the author used the word “most” meaning
it is a norm but they have the choice not to follow it.
 3. The young and adult horseshoe crabs spend most of their time on the sandy bottoms of
intertidal flats or zones above the low tide mark and feed on various invertebrates.
It is an assertion of convention because the author used “most” in the sentence, it indicates
that not all of its time spent there but a portion is dedicated for that place.
4. These shorebirds have evolved to time their migrations to coincide with peak
horseshoe crab spawning activity, especially in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay
areas.
This is an example of assertion of convention because the author used the word “evolved”.
Therefore, we can think that the migration of birds does not coincide with the spawning activity
of the horseshoe crab, but overtime this mechanism changes so that the birds will have
enough food supply during migration.
5. Many fish species as well as birds have been observed feeding on horseshoe crab eggs
in Florida.
This is an assertion of convention because it is typical for the fish species as well as birds to
eat horseshoe crab’s eggs, but keep in mind that not all or mostly fish species and birds have
eaten the horseshoe crab eggs.
Assertion of opinion:
1. Many people have seen horseshoe crabs but do not realize they are looking at one of
the oldest animals on the planet.
This sentence is an example of assertion of opinion because it is based on facts. It is true that
horseshoe crabs are one of the most oldest animal on planet, but the author argues that
despite its existence long time ago, people knows a little about them.
2. Despite inhabiting the planet for so long, horseshoe crab anatomy has changed very
little over time because it has proven successful for the animal's survival.
It is an example of assertion of opinion because it has stated a fact “inhabiting the planet for so
long”, but the author claimed that the anatomy of horseshoe crab didn’t change that much.
3. Horseshoe crabs have a tank-like structure consisting of a front shell called the
prosoma, a back shell called the opisthosoma, and a spike-like tail called a telson.
It is an assertion of opinion because the author stated facts about the structure of horseshoe
crab but the author conveys the structure through its similarities.
4. Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the ecology of coastal communities.
This is an example of assertion of opinion because the author claims that it is important to
ecology. Not everyone sees or agrees that it is indeed important to ecology, however it is a
help to ecology.
 5. Horseshoe crabs are also extremely important to the biomedical industry because their
unique, copper-based blue blood contains a substance called "Limulus Amebocyte
Lysate", or "LAL".
This is an assertion of opinion because the author considers it important in the biomedical
industry, although the biomedical industry uses the compound of horseshoe crab.
Assertion of preference:
1. Many people view horseshoe crabs as dangerous animals because they have sharp
tails.
This sentence is an example of assertion of preference because many people chose to view
horseshoe crab as dangerous animals because they have sharp tails when in fact there are
animals who has sharp tail yet they are not dangerous. They view it as a dangerous animal
because it’s their personal choice.
2. Some males (called satellite males) do not attach to females but still have success in
fertilizing the female's eggs as they crowd around the attached pair.
It is an example of assertion of preference because it is stated in the sentence above that
generally males attach their selves above females but this “some males” prefer not to attach
yet they are successful in fertilizing.
3. Their eggs are the major food source for northward-migrating shorebirds, including the
federally-threatened red knot.
It is an assertion of preference because birds stay on what they life. It is a personal preference
to the birds.
4. The marine life fishery collects live horseshoe crabs for resale as aquarium, research,
or educational specimens.
This is an example of assertion of preference because they prefer to collect horseshoe crab for
resale as aquarium, research, or educational specimens than others.
5. The American eel and whelk fisheries use horseshoe crabs as bait along many parts of
the Atlantic coast.
This is an assertion of preference because they could have chosen other baits but they prefer
horseshoe crab.
1. Claim (explicit):
Horseshoe crabs are actually not true crabs at all, being more closely related to arachnids
(a group that includes spiders and scorpions) than to crustaceans (a group that includes
true crabs, lobsters, and shrimp).
Evidence:
1. They more closely related to arachnids
2. They are not related to crustaceans
Counterclaim:
Why is it called crabs when it is not actually a crab? Besides, when you look at how
horseshoe crab looked like, it is more close to crustaceans than the arachnids because it is
similar to the crab and has several pairs of legs and is covered in a hard shell.
2. Claim (explicit):
Four species of horseshoe crabs exist today. Only one species, Limulus polyphemus, is
found in North America along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Maine to Mexico. The other
three species are found in Southeast Asia.
Evidence:
1. Limulus polyphemus, is found in North America along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from
Maine to Mexico.
2. The other three species are found in Southeast Asia.
Counterclaim:
What are the names of other species? Why is it not stated in the article? Out of 445 million
years, how sure are they that there are only 4 species exited? Why is Limulus polyphemus
only found in North America and the other species are in a common place?
3. Claim (explicit):
Horseshoe crabs are also extremely important to the biomedical industry because their
unique, copper-based blue blood contains a substance called "Limulus Amebocyte Lysate",
or "LAL".
This compound coagulates in the presence of small amounts of bacterial toxins and is used
to test for sterility of medical equipment and virtually all injectable drugs. Anyone who has
had an injection, vaccination, or surgery has benefitted from horseshoe crabs! Research on
the compound eyes of horseshoe crabs has led to a better understanding of human vision.
Evidence:
1. Their unique, copper-based blue blood contains a substance called "Limulus
Amebocyte Lysate", or "LAL".
2. Anyone who has had an injection, vaccination, or surgery has benefitted
from horseshoe crabs.
3. Their blood coagulates in the presence of small amounts of bacterial toxins and is used
to test for sterility of medical equipment and virtually all injectable drugs.
Counterclaim:
Horseshoe crabs may extremely be important to the biomedical industry. However, it could
cause threats to the horseshoe crabs because people would depend on its ability. How
sure are they that anyone who had an injection, vaccination, or surgery has benefitted from
horseshoe crabs? When in fact scientists could and had discovered a lot of things and have
used different products, not only horseshoe crab’s blood.