Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which horseshoe crab species lives along the Atlantic coast of North America?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus).
The horseshoe crab species that lives along the Atlantic coast of North America is the American horseshoe crab, scientifically known as Limulus polyphemus.12
This species is a member of the subphylum Chelicerata, a group of arthropods that also includes spiders and scorpions. Limulus polyphemus is the only horseshoe crab species found in North American waters, with a range extending from Maine to the Yucatán Peninsula.231