Limulus polyphemus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

Florida native

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These marine animals can be found in all coastal Florida counties. The range extends along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from Texas to Maine, plus Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
More closely related to spiders than other crabs, Limulus polyphemus have a distinctive hard rounded carapace that is hinged at the abdomen. The tail, called the telson, is also hinged and is used to flip itself upright. There are ten appendages, the first pair of which on females are claws and on males somewhat resemble boxing gloves which are often used to hold onto the female while fertilizing the freshly laid eggs. The tiny round eggs are green.
Horseshoe crabs are critical to the life-cycle and migration of red knots. The birds feast on the horseshoe crab eggs, especially along the Atlantic coast from the Carolinas into the mid-Atlantic states, to help fuel their spring migration from South America to the Artic.

Limulus polyphemus is a member of the Limulidae - Horseshoe Crabs family.

iNaturalist profile for this species

For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Florida Natural Areas Inventory page for this species

Date record last modified: Feb 02, 2026