ATLANTIC HORSESHOE CRAB
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Limulus Polyphemus
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| The Delaware Bay is home to the world's largest population of horseshoe
crabs. In Little Egg Harbor you can find the Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs journeying
onto our shores to mate each May through October. |
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| The students took a field trip to The Tuckerton Seaport and to Graveling
Point Beach to learn and see first hand how the horseshoe crabs eat, mate, and live in our
waters. |
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| Kathleen, Joshua, Christina, Brian, Natalie, Carley, Joseph, and Mrs.
Hoden found only a few horseshoe crabs on the beach. As we observed the horseshoe
crabs we were able to identify the male and female horseshoe crabs, its book gills, the
prosoma, opisthosoma, telson, compound eyes, legs, and its mouth. |
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| At The Tuckerton Seaport, we had the opportunity to feed the horseshoe
crab by hand. What a wonderful experience! It was amazing to see how the
horseshoe crab pushes its food into its mouth using its bristle like legs and its
chelicerae (pair of small feeding pincers). |
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| Our hope is that everyone can develop a respect for these ancient manners.
We hope that as you read our web page that you too will want to protect them from
extinction and realize what wonderful animals these horseshoe crabs are. |
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| Please select each of the students' web page below to learn more about the
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab. |
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Carley - HISTORY - Natalie 
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Christina - 
Joe - 
Kathleen - 
Brian - 
Joshua -