| Horseshoe Crab | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification |
Horseshoe Crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae, suborder Xiphosurida, and order Xiphosura. Their popular name is a misnomer, as they are not true crabs, nor even crustaceans, but a different order of arthropod more closely related to arachnids.
Horseshoe crabs live primarily in and around shallow coastal waters on soft, sandy or muddy bottoms.
Given their origin 244 million years ago, horseshoe crabs are considered living fossils. A 2019 molecular analysis places them as the sister group of Ricinulei within Arachnida.
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