Where does the horseshoe crab live?
Horseshoe crabs can be found year-round in the middle and lower Bay. • Adult horseshoe crabs usually live in deeper waters, while juveniles stay in shallower waters. • Horseshoe crabs have been recorded in the Miles, Chester, Choptank and Rappahannock rivers. • Horseshoe crabs can survive for extended periods of time out of the water if their book gills are kept moist. What does the horseshoe crab eat? Horseshoe crabs feed primarily on marine worms and mollusks like razor clams and soft-shelled clams. Because they lack jaws, horseshoe crabs use the spiny bases of their legs to crush and grind their food, then push it into their mouths. How does the horseshoe crab reproduce? Horseshoe crab reproduction takes place beginning in May. • Large numbers of adults move onto sandy Bay beaches to mate and lay eggs. This usually corresponds with full moons and evening high tides. • Females lay greenish-colored eggs in nests or clusters in the sand, usually at the high tide mark. • Eggs take about
