How does a horseshoe crab digest its food?

Horseshoe crabs digest their food through a multi-step mechanical and chemical process.1

• Capture and Ingestion: The first pair of appendages, known as chelicerae, are used to seize prey such as worms, mollusks, and crabs. The mouth is surrounded by five additional pairs of legs that assist in both walking and eating; spiny projections at the base of these legs tear the food into smaller pieces and roll it into the mouth.1
• Mechanical Breakdown: Once ingested, the food undergoes further physical breakdown within the gizzard.1
• Chemical Digestion: The food then passes into a long stomach-intestine, where digestive enzymes are secreted by a large organ called the hepatopancreas to facilitate chemical digestion.1