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arthropods
text index | photo
index
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| Phylum Arthropoda | Class Merostomata | Order Xiphosura > Family Limulidae |
| Coastal
horseshoe crab Tachypleus gigas Family Limulidae updated Aug 10 Where seen? This is our larger horseshoe crab and it is sometimes encountered on some of our shores. They are often seen in pairs, with the smaller male on top of the larger female. Features: Diameter to about 25cm. Its shell is greyish and the tail is triangular in cross-section. Sometimes confused with the Mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) which has a tail with a circular cross-section. Status and threats: The Coastal horseshoe crab is listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore. It is mainly threatened by habitat loss. According to the Singapore Red Data Book: "In the last two decades, many good natural shorelines have been developed or 'improved' through a variety of 'beach improvement' schemes, reclamation and other developments, so much so that the Coastal horseshoe crab has become less common and the species should be regarded as endangered in the Singapore context." |
 Upperside Changi, May 05  Underside Changi, May 05 |
Coastal horseshoe crabs on Singapore shores
 Changi, Oct 07 |
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 East Coast Park, Jun 09 |
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