Müller, 1785 Pierre Shale, United States, Late Cretaceous ( Maastrichtian), Atlantic North America, Recent Lower Cretaceous ( Albian) Glen Rose Formation, Texas, USA † Crenatolimulus Feldmann et al., 2011 Upper Jurassic (upper Tithonian) Kcynia Formation, Poland.† Volanalimulus Lamsdell, 2020 Early Triassic, Madagascar.2021 Early Jurassic ( Sinemurian) Moltrasio Limestone, Italy † Mesolimulus Middle Triassic-Late Cretaceous England, Spain, Siberia, Germany, Morocco.† Yunnanolimulus Zhang et al., 2009 Middle Triassic (Anisian), Guanling Formation, Yunnan, China.† Victalimulus Riek & Gill, 1971 Lower Cretaceous ( Aptian) Korumburra Group, NSW, Australia.† Tarracolimulus Romero & Vıa Boada, 1977 Alcover Limestone Formation, Spain, Middle Triassic (Ladinian).† Sloveniolimulus Bicknell et al., 2019 Strelovec Formation, Slovenia Middle Triassic ( Anisian).† Limulitella Størmer, 1952 Middle-Upper Triassic, France, Germany, Tunisia, Russia.† Heterolimulus gadeai Vıa & Villalta, 1966 Alcover Limestone Formation, Spain, Middle Triassic ( Ladinian).† Casterolimulus Holland, Erickson & O'Brien, 1975 Late Cretaceous ( Maastrichtian) Fox Hills Formation, North Dakota, USA (Inconsistently placed in this family).† Albalimulus Bicknell & Pates, 2019 Ballagan Formation, Scotland, Early Carboniferous ( Tournaisian) (Considered Xiphosura incertae sedis by Lamsdell, 2020 ).Tachypleus tridentatus, the Chinese, Japanese or tri-spine horseshoe crab, found in Southeast and East AsiaĪfter Bicknell et al.Tachypleus gigas, the Indo-Pacific, Indonesian, Indian or southern horseshoe crab, found in South and Southeast Asia.Limulus polyphemus, the Atlantic or American horseshoe crab, found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the Southeast Gulf of Mexico.Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, the mangrove horseshoe crab, found in South and Southeast Asia.The Limulidae are the only recent family of the order Xiphosura, and contains all four living species of horseshoe crabs: The earliest horseshoe crab fossils are found in strata from the Lower Ordovician period, roughly 480 million years ago. The enigmatic Chasmataspidids are also thought to be closely related to the horseshoe crabs. Other studies have placed eurypterids closer to the arachnids in a group called Merostomata.
Horseshoe crabs are closely related to the extinct eurypterids (sea scorpions), which include some of the largest arthropods to have ever existed, and the two may be sister groups. Horseshoe crabs resemble crustaceans but belong to a separate subphylum of the arthropods, Chelicerata. A 2019 molecular analysis places them as the sister group of Ricinulei within Arachnida. įossil records for horseshoe crabs extend back as far as 480 million years ago, with extant forms being living fossils. Tetrodotoxin may be present in one horseshoe crab species, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda.
In recent years, population declines have occurred as a consequence of coastal habitat destruction and overharvesting. They are eaten in some parts of Asia, and used as fishing bait, in fertilizer and in science (especially Limulus amebocyte lysate). They are generally found in the intertidal zone at spring high tides. Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow coastal waters on soft, sandy or muddy bottoms. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or crustaceans they are chelicerates, most closely related to arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions. Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only living members of the order Xiphosura.
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