Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Can horseshoe crabs swim upside down?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus).
Yes, horseshoe crabs are capable of swimming upside down. While they typically move by plowing through mudāarching their bodies and pushing with their telson and last pair of legsāthey can swim on their backs by using the rhythmic beating of their gill flaps for propulsion.1