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Atlantic horseshoe crab on the shore at Brighton Beach, New York City. The Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of horseshoe crab, a kind of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. [1] It is found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. [1]
Leading scientists also have denounced the commission’s computer model, which recommends harvesting 175,000 female horseshoe crabs and 500,000 male horseshoe crabs for bait annually.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will consider changes to how horseshoe crab harvest limits are set Jan. 26.
Horseshoe crab spawning season. In the tidal flats near Barnstable Harbor, a ritual that predates the dinosaurs will soon begin. Horseshoe crab spawning season.
Over the years the harvests of the blue crab dropped; in 2000, the combined harvest was around 45 million dollars. While blue crabs remain a popular food in the Chesapeake Bay area, the Bay is not capable of meeting local demand. Crabs are shipped into the region from North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and Texas to supplement the local harvest.
Horseshoe crabs primarily live at the water's bottom but they can swim if needed. In the modern day, their distribution is limited, only found along the east coasts of North America and South Asia. Horseshoe crabs are often caught for their blood, which contains Limulus amebocyte lysate, a chemical used to detect bacterial endotoxins.
The horseshoe crabs have been harvested for use as bait and medicine from Florida to Maine over the years, though the largest harvests are in Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts and Virginia.
In 2002, Louisiana harvested 22% of the nation's blue crab. That number rose to 26% by 2009 and 28% by 2012. The vast majority of Louisiana crabs are shipped to Maryland, where they are sold as "Chesapeake" or "Maryland" crab. Louisiana's harvest remained high in 2013, with 17,597 metric tons of blue crab valued at $51 million. [40]