Horseshoe crabs (Limulus
polyphemus)
are a marine arthropod found along the Atlantic coast from northern
Maine to the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico. The Delaware
Bay supports the largest spawning population in the world. Adults
either remain in estuaries or migrate to the continental shelf
during the winter months. Migrations resume in the spring when the
horseshoe crabs move to beach areas to spawn. Juveniles hatch from
the beach environment and spend the first two years in nearshore
areas.
