You see them at the beach, brown shells with a tail, looking like an aquatic battle tank. If they're flipped over, all kinds of stuff is inside. More ancient than man, dinosaurs or insects, they have 10 eyes and can see ultraviolet light. If you find one on the beach, it's an adult. These ancient creatures are a storehouse of medical marvels used in testing for bacterial contamination in a wide variety of applications, speeding wound healing, anti-viral and anti-cancer research, anti-fungal tests and potential antibiotics. Much of the medical usage comes from their blood, which can be "harvested" without harming the animal many times over their 25-year lifetime.

The Delaware Bay is the world's largest spawning ground for these creatures. They are prey to many other aquatic animals and to migratory shore birds.

They really are not crabs, but distant relatives of the spider, and they are not dangerous. Clams are one of their primary snacks.

© 2007 George J. Bancroft Sr.

Please note:  Only one size available:  12 x 12