Horseshoe Crabs

Each spring, Horseshoe crabs lay their eggs on Delaware’s beaches.

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The horseshoe crab we know today has not changed much in 35 million years, which is why it’s often called a “living fossil.” Of the four current species that exist, only one, Limulus polyphemus, is found along the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean, from southern Maine to the Yucatán Peninsula, with the Delaware Bay as the center of the population.

In 2002, Limulus polyphemus was named the official marine animal of the state of Delaware—a designation that underscores the role that the horseshoe crab plays in the ecology of the Delaware Bay, as well as its importance to human health. Every year, the long, uninterrupted beaches of the Delaware Bay host the largest spawning of horseshoe crabs in the world.

To learn more about horseshoe crabs in Delaware, visit our horseshoe crab survey page.