Horseshoe Crab - Research Paper Example

One of these species, Limulus polyphemus, is found in North America along the coastline of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The remainder are found in Southeast Asia. Despite having the name horseshoe crab, they are not true crustaceans. They are closely related to arachnids (a category that includes scorpions and spiders). Evolutionists coin the species “living fossils” since their fossils have been found in period that date back to 450 million years. Scientists will hold a different view for the organism arguing that it offers important insights to evolution and species interdependence.

Despite the differing opinions about this magnificent creature, a common denominator is that they are important for both coastal communities and human health. In the whole planet, only four species this crab are in existence.The paper will discuss in detail about the horseshoe crab by offering insight from its anatomical features to the ecological habitat. Despite the earliest forms of horseshoe crab inhabiting the planet for millions of years, the anatomical features of these creatures have not changed.

Unfortunately, the long, thin spike-like tail makes many people view them as dangerous, yet they are docile or rather harmless. The anatomy of horseshoe crab is one of the notable aspects in the creature. In the topographical description of horseshoe crab, the body is divided into three sections namely prosoma, opisthosoma and the telson. These body sections are sometimes called cephalothorax, abdomen and the tail. Prosoma contains and intestinal tract, an oesophagus and proventriculus that helps in grinding food (Dunlap 54).

Also, in the prosoma are a nervous system that is concentrated with a bulbous brain, tubular heart, excretory glands at the base of walking legs and a connective tissue (Fortey 81). Opithosoma contains an intricate network of the musculature that helps in the operation of book gills and the telson. However, the 113