Tachypleus gigas

(Müller, 1785)

Vernacular names
English : Indian horseshoe crab
French : Limule indienne

Classification
Class : Merostomata
Order : Xiphosurida
Family : Limulidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Front part of body is horse-hoof shaped. Adult females can grow to 42 cm in length with a width up to 22 cm. Front of body fairly even in shape with two rows of blunt spines and a central ridge. Coloration usually uniform sage-green.

Range and habitat
The species occurs around South-east Asian coastlines, east India in the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia, east to South China Sea and the Philippines. Lives in sandy and muddy shores area, in saline and brackish waters, to 40 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : DATA DEFICIENT
CITES : Not listed
Status : The species’ status in the wild hasn’t been studied in detail and remains poorly understood. Its habitat is likely polluted and disappearing globally.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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