The Atlantic Horseshoe CrabRajani Duong Honors BiologyPeriod IV Its a marine chelicerate arthropod.Which means its closely related to ticks, spiders, and scorpions. Actually they aren't really crabs at all. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America. One of the main areas of migration is Delaware Bay.Sometimes they get lost and wind up in Europe on occasion What in the world is it?What if they were removed?If the horseshoe crab was removed from the ecosystem it would be really bad. Horseshoe crabs are food for the American Loggerhead turtle, eel, whelk, conch, and various shoreline birds such as the red knot. Many organisms rely on the crabs including algae, flat worms, molluscs, barnacles and bryozoans. Because the carapace is a home for these organisms to live on.Background CheckIs the horseshoe crab a native species? Yes ,yes it is.A native species is a species living in an area with entirely with natural reasons and without human intervention.While a non-native species is the opposite its a species that has been introduced, intentionally or accidentally by humans and may become invasive to the natural environment.Background Check cont.Is the horseshoe crab a invasive species? No, no it isn't.An invasive species is a non-native species to the ecosystem, and causes harm to the ecosystem.While a non-invasive species is not necessarily a native species to the ecosystem. It just means that the species doesn't cause harm to the ecosystem.

What is an invasive species?An example of an invasive species is the Red Lionfish. It lives along the North Atlantic Coast, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. It originally was found in the Indo-Pacific region. Two adaptations that enable it to successfully live in its' non-native habitat is the lack of natural predators and its venomous spines located along its body.Adaptations of the CrabSimilar to starfish, horseshoe crabs have the ability to regrow lost limbs.They have 5 pairs of book gills that allow them to breathe underwater and on land for a short period of time given that the gills are moist.Their telson( tail or caudal spine) is similar to a rudder and allows them to steer and flip itself over if necessary. Also their thick curved shell which prevents predators from eating them.

Horseshoe Crab DNAUnlike most organisms horseshoe crabs contain the protein hemocyanin, unlike humans who we contain the protein hemoglobin. When hemocyanin is oxygenated it turns blue unlike hemoglobin turns red. They only contain one type of blood cell: amoebocyte which contains a clotting factor known as coagulogen and used in LAL tests to detect endotoxins and bacterial diseases. ReproductionHorseshoe crabs reproduce sexually.As similar to sea turtles the smaller male(s) attach themselves to the female's back and swim to shore.The female would dig a hole every few feet or so and lay their eggs and as they are passing over the male or males would fertilize them.

EnergyHorseshoe crabs obtain energy by eating other organisms. Then obtain energy throgh cellular respiration.Sourceswikipediahorseshoecrab.orgbeach-net.com