Horseshoe crabs, also known as King crabs, are found in the ocean around
Malaysia and the east coast of North America. They are the only remaining
arachnids, except for a few mites, that live in the water.
They usually dwell in deep water except when breeding
, where move to shallow water and the shores of the beach so the female
can lay eggs. They have a hard outer covering, called a carapace, that
protects the entire body. The rigid tail on the back end of horseshoe
crabs is used for burrowing and helps flip the crab over when it's on
its back. They eat worms, dead fish, and young clams. Their blood
contains a substance that we use to detect bacterial contamination in
medical equipment and its chitin is used to make surgical sutures.
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