June 20 marked International Horseshoe Crab Day. While that day has passed, horseshoe crabs remain one of the most important creatures along the Florida Gulf Coast.
Described as ‘living fossils,’ horseshoe crabs were around before the dinosaurs and haven’t evolved much in the last 445 million years. They are unmistakably recognizable with their horseshoe-shaped prosoma (the front shell), opisthosoma (back shell) and a spike-like tail called a telson.
