horseshoe crab

noun

a large marine arthropod, Limulus polyphemus, of shallow coastal waters of eastern North America and eastern Asia, having both compound and simple eyes, book gills, a stiff tail, and a brown carapace curved like a horseshoe: a living fossil related to the woodlouse.

horseshoe crab

any marine chelicerate arthropod of the genus Limulus, of North America and Asia, having a rounded heavily armoured body with a long pointed tail: class Merostomata Also calledking crab

First recorded in 1765–75

Perhaps the skate may use them to walk around on the bottom of the ocean, as a horseshoe crab uses his legs for walking.

But the king- or horseshoe-crab has still no true jaws, but uses the upper joints of its legs for chewing.

I thought of a horseshoe crab, stranded on its back and kicking helplessly.

Indian arrow-heads, for any ocean curiosities except a sea-urchin and a horseshoe crab.

I dug some clams at low water and caught a big horseshoe crab.

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