Horseshoe Crab - Not Something You See Every Day

[McQ]

I saw this Horseshoe Crab while walking with my wife and my dog on the beach in Brigantine, NJ last week. I see lots of them, but I've never seen one covered with so many barnacles and whatever else is on it. He was alive and moving fine. Just found it fascinating and wanted to share, since this is an odd creature for this forum.

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[Louis Champan]

Well done and for sure not a crab one sees every day or very often at all.

 

[frdjohns]

Cool. Never saw one like that either.

 

[Butlerkid]

Quite interesting. I've never seem one in real life! Must be an oldie!

 

[Mike Buckley]

The second photo works really nicely thanks to the nice reflection and two diagonals. Well done!

 

[warth man]

Nice pics and you're right - nice change!

 

[McQ]

Thanks, all. I forgot to post a closer, cropped version to see the barnacles better. Here it is. The stories these old critters could tell...

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[Phil K]

Nice find and nice captures. Also never seen one like this before.

 

[taat2d]

Wow I’ve never seen one that encrusted!!! Where I grew up In Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, we used to see and play with them everyday!!! LOL

 

[McQ]

Wow I’ve never seen one that encrusted!!! Where I grew up In Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, we used to see and play with them everyday!!! LOL

Yeah, I'm quite accustomed to seeing them and handling them my whole life but I never saw one like this. From what I understand it probably means it is no longer molting, which means it is pretty old by HC standards - at least 12 years old, most likely closer to 20 years.

 

[drr1531]

That is interesting. Even more so that the growth is mostly confined to the tail area. Such pre-historic looking creatures.

 

[McQ]

That is interesting. Even more so that the growth is mostly confined to the tail area. Such pre-historic looking creatures.

I thought that was noteworthy too. I wonder why it's mostly just in that area.
And they are very prehistoric. Older than dinosaurs ~ 250 million years!

 

[taat2d]

Yeah, I'm quite accustomed to seeing them and handling them my whole life but I never saw one like this. From what I understand it probably means it is no longer molting, which means it is pretty old by HC standards - at least 12 years old, most likely closer to 20 years.

Wow pretty interesting. Makes sense if they don’t shed anymore to have that much growth. My friends and I used to do the same. Lol. We’d see them at the beach everyday and play with them too. They’re so alien like and intriguing. Seeing their “trains” was always something funny too.

 

[RonS]

Good capture Glenn. I feel kind of sorry for it.