These are horseshoe crabs that we saw the other day in the Gowanus Canal near the Carroll Street Bridge. While this may look like horseshoe crabs possibly having sex, we’re not sure, as they tend to mate in sand and on shorelines. In any case, we’re always mesmerized whenever we see anything alive in the Gowanus.
Brookvid: Horseshoe Crabs in the Gowanus Canal
June 10th, 2008 · 7 Comments
Tags: Gowanus Canal
7 responses so far ↓
1 mpg // Jun 10, 2008 at 4:52 pm
They may be mating but the male latches on the female and when she releases eggs, he releases sperm. There’s an article in the NYT’s Science Times section today.
2 peter // Jun 10, 2008 at 5:18 pm
“we’re always mesmerized whenever we see anything alive in the Gowanus”
Me too, maybe I will try fishing in it.
3 CR // Jun 10, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Whenever I look at a Horseshoe Crab with those long spindly things I always feel inadequate and less of a man.
4 elizabeth // Jun 10, 2008 at 9:24 pm
those things have survivd since the prehistoric era, they can survive in the gowanus.
5 woodendesigner // Jun 11, 2008 at 7:25 am
Very cool. It’s nice to see that things are able to live in there again.
6 Eric // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:36 am
And soon, with any luck, we’ll have thousands of little baby horseshoe crabs in the Gowanus.
The horseshoe crab population has been falling precipitously in Delaware Bay, where they are most populous. They’re a vital source of food for migratory seabirds, and are also used for blood research that has greatly benefited mankind.
7 Lisa // Jun 11, 2008 at 3:37 pm
it’s sad that to excape their overfishing, the horseshoe crab has had to retreat to places like the Gowanus.
isn’t it time we stop dumping all our crap in that water so that these other species have a chance?