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Each year in May we collect horseshoe crab eggs for study throughout the year. The eggs can be refrigerated and kept viable for at least six months. The following images are provided by O.I.P.L. - the Ocean Institute Photomicroscopy Laboratory (we held a digital camera up to the microscope eyepiece!) |
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June - These are eggs that are two weeks old. Note that the crabs are tail-less at this stage. These are sometimes called trilobite larvae, but are not related to trilobites. |
| July - These are larvae that have hatched and those that have already shed are developing their telson (tail). Our 2002 batch of crabs had a number of peculiar reddish colored larvae. |
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August - note the tiny nematode worm at the center of this microscope field. This may be a parasite of the horseshoe crab. Read more about horseshoe crab parasites in the article "Living on Limulus." |
| Different imaging techniques are used to show details of the same specimen and its yolk. The yolk probably allows the crab to endure environmental conditions when food may not be available. Note that the three eye spots are also visible on each specimen. |
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