246 



ANIMALS OF THE SEASHORE 



Fig. 42 

 Limulus polyphemus Linne 

 Cape May, N. J. 



Fig. 43 

 Mating of Limulus 



St. Petersburg, Fla. 



The body of the King' Crab is in three parts — 

 a horseshoe shaped head, an approximately triangu- 

 lar abdomen and a spinelike tail. The total length 

 from head to tip of tail may be as much as two feet. 



King Crabs are abundant in Delaware Bay. In 

 May and June they come ashore in great numbers 

 to deposit their eggs on the beach near high tide 

 mark. The crabs come up the beach in pairs, the 

 males being the smaller, riding on the backs of the 

 females. After the eggs are deposited in the sand, 

 the males fertilize them, and then the crabs return 

 to the deeper water of the bay. 



A number of years ago Limulus was much more 

 abundant than at present. Every year many of these 

 crabs are collected along the New Jersey shore of 

 Delaware Bay. They are allowed to dry on the 

 beach in large pens and then are ground up and 

 used as fertilizer. Because of this industry Limulus 

 is dying out in some places. 



