LUZURIAGA, CHELSEY MARIE

GAS 12-1

Facts about your Interest

Horseshoe Crab

They have been around for more than 300

million years, it looks like a prehistoric crab
but more closely related to scorpions and
spiders. It has a hard exoskeleton and 10
legs, for walking along the seafloor. Their
bodies are divided in to 3 sections (prosoma
or head, opisthosoma or abdomen, the
telson or the horseshoe crab’s tail)

Facts about the Horseshoe

 Its unique copper-based blue blood contains “Limulus Amebocyte Lysate” or “LAL”. This
compound coagulates up in the presence of small amounts of bacterial toxins and is used
to test for sterility of medical equipment and virtually all injectable drugs.
 Horseshoe crabs are “living fossils” meaning they have existed nearly unchanged for at
least hundreds of millions of years.
 They have 9 eyes scattered throughout the body and several more light receptors near
the tail, its two largest eyes are used for finding mates. The other eyes and light receptors
are useful for determining movement and changes in moonlight.
 Female horseshoe crab are about one-third larger than the males. They can grow to be
18 to 19 inches from head to tail, while males are approximately 14 to 17 inches.
 An estimated 90,000 eggs, measuring between 3mm and 3.7mm, are laid in one season
by one female. The outer chorion of the eggs remain sticky for about 15 hours and is
responsible for the egg eventually becoming totally covered with sperm.

Questions

 I did some research on the internet and read some articles about my topic.

 “Horseshoe Crab”. Anonymous. (n.d.) https://www.nwf.org/Educational-

Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Horseshoe-Crab
“Facts about Horseshoe Crab and FAQ”. Anonymous. (n.d.)
https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/horseshoe-crabs/facts/
“Horseshoe Crab: Reproduction & Life Cycle." Anonymous (July 11, 2017)
https://study.com/academy/lesson/horseshoe-crab-reproduction-life-cycle.html.

 I research the name of the organization. I compared the information provided by my source
with other reliable sources to verify accuracy. I found a citations that support the claims
and assertions made by the writer.