Long before dinosaurs, mammals and even trees, there was the horseshoe crab. These incredible creatures have been thriving in shallow coastal waters for over 450 million years! Despite their name, they aren’t crabs at all but are more closely related to spiders and scorpions.
Built to last
With their hard, horseshoe-shaped shells, these creatures are built to endure. If they get flipped upside down, they use their long, pointed tail to push themselves back over! Beneath their protective shells, 10 nimble legs help them scuttle across the seabed, hunting for seaworms and clams.
But their most fascinating feature? Their blue blood. Unlike our iron-based, red blood, theirs is copper-based, giving it a striking blue colour. Even more remarkable, their blood acts as a natural defence system. It instantly detects harmful bacteria…