Atlantic Horseshoe Crab - Names and Classification

Names and Classification

This group of animals is also known as horsefoot, or saucepan. Some people call the horseshoe crab a "helmet crab", but this common name is more frequently applied to a true crab, a malacostracan, of the species Telmessus cheiragonus. The term "king crab" is sometimes used for horseshoe crabs, but it is more usually applied to a group of decapod crustaceans.

Limulus means "askew" and polyphemus refers to the giant in Greek mythology. It is based on the misleading idea that the animal had a single eye.

Former scientific names include Limulus cyclops, Xiphosura americana, and Polyphemus occidentalis.

It is the tail that earns this order its name Xiphosura, which derives from the Greek for 'sword tail'.

Despite their common name, they are not crabs but are related to arachnids (spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites).