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The Life History Cycle of Limulus polyphemus in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire U.S.A.

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Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management

Abstract

The overall goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the life history cycle of the American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) that reside in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Great Bay horseshoe crabs generally spawn during high tides in the spring. Based on recent work and studies, spawning appeared to be triggered by increases in water temperature, and animals seemed to prefer to spawn in the warmest sections of the estuary. However, in contrast to horseshoe crabs in some other areas of the U.S.A., peaks of spawning activity did not necessarily correspond with the new and full moons, or with the highest tides, and similar numbers of animals were observed spawning during day and night high tides. Once the eggs hatch, it is hypothesized that their planktonic larvae are likely transported to the upper regions of the estuary where they settle on the expansive mudflats that characterize most of the Great Bay Estuary. At ~9 years (about the 17th instar stage), males appear to reach sexual maturity, while it appears that females molt one more time before reaching sexual maturity. This difference, along with a tendency for males to approach mating beaches more often than females, may contribute to a sex ratio that is skewed towards males at most spawning beaches in the estuary.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the many research assistants, volunteers, and talented SCUBA divers, who have assisted with field surveys and behavioral studies and experiments. Thanks also to David Shay for his daily maintenance of the facilities at Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. This work was supported by grants from the University of New Hampshire School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, New Hampshire Sea Grant, and NSF (NSF-IOS 0920342) to CCC and WHW III.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Helen Cheng & Winsor H. Watson III

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH, 03264, USA

    Christopher C. Chabot

Authors
  1. Helen Cheng
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  2. Christopher C. Chabot
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  3. Winsor H. Watson III
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Correspondence to Winsor H. Watson III .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, Alabama, USA

    Ruth H. Carmichael

  2. Fordham University Dept. Natural Sciences, New York, New York, USA

    Mark L. Botton

  3. Department of Biology and Chemistry,, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Paul K.S. Shin

  4. Department of Biology and Chemistry,, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Siu Gin Cheung

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Cheng, H., Chabot, C.C., Watson, W.H. (2015). The Life History Cycle of Limulus polyphemus in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire U.S.A.. In: Carmichael, R., Botton, M., Shin, P., Cheung, S. (eds) Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19542-1_13

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