According to a report, two cyclones–Amphan and Bulbul have severely damaged the habitat of horseshoe crabs. The total length of the Horseshoe crab habitat in Odisha and West Bengal is around 150 km.
Basic Facts
Three beaches at Kalash, Haliday and Bakkhali have been selected where a section of the population of the horseshoe crab will be released.
Horseshoe crab is a living fossil that has remained unchanged for millions of years.
In the world, four species of horseshoe crabs are found: Limulus polyphemus, Tachypleus gigas, Tachypleus tridentatu and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda.
Out of four, two species are found in India.
Horseshoe crabs habitats in India are confined to the beaches of West Bengal and Odisha in areas such as the Sagar Island and Bhitarkanika.
Horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than to “true crabs,” which are crustaceans.
They’re in the class Merostomata, which means “legs attached to the mouth” because their mouths are literally in the center of all 10 legs.
Representative image: Horseshoe crab (credit-Pixabay)
References:
- Hindustan Times: https://bit.ly/2AcFOqI
- Horseshoe crab: https://bit.ly/3hgVPge
- National Geographic: https://on.natgeo.com/2AQ1Csp
