WoRMS taxon details
Limulus polyphemus (Linnaeus, 1758)
150514 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:150514)
accepted
Species
Limulus albus Bosc, 1802 · unaccepted (listed as synonym by Dunlop et...)
listed as synonym by Dunlop et al., 2012
Limulus americanus Leach, 1819 · unaccepted (listed as synonym by Dunlop et...)
listed as synonym by Dunlop et al., 2012
Limulus cyclops Fabricius, 1793 · unaccepted (listed as synonym by Dunlop et...)
listed as synonym by Dunlop et al., 2012
Limulus occidentalis Lamarck, 1801 · unaccepted (listed as synonym by Dunlop et...)
listed as synonym by Dunlop et al., 2012
Limulus sowerbii Leach, 1815 · unaccepted (listed as synonym by Dunlop et...)
listed as synonym by Dunlop et al., 2012
Monoculus polyphemus Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (Monoculus was a hybrid genus and...)
Monoculus was a hybrid genus and was eventually suppressed, the species was transferred to Limulus
marine
(of Monoculus polyphemus Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]
Distribution Gulf of Maine to Gulf of Mexico
Distribution Gulf of Maine to Gulf of Mexico [details]
WoRMS (2026). Limulus polyphemus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=150514 on 2026-05-12
Date
action
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Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
(of Monoculus polyphemus Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record Hansson, H. (2004). North East Atlantic Taxa (NEAT): Nematoda. Internet pdf Ed. Aug 1998. (look up in IMIS) [details]
[request]basis of record Hansson, H. (2004). North East Atlantic Taxa (NEAT): Nematoda. Internet pdf Ed. Aug 1998. (look up in IMIS) [details]
Other
context source (Introduced species)
Katsanevakis, S.; Bogucarskis, K.; Gatto, F.; Vandekerkhove, J.; Deriu, I.; Cardoso A.S. (2012). Building the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN): a novel approach for the exploration of distributed alien species data. <em>BioInvasions Records.</em> 1: 235-245., available online at http://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
additional source Meinkoth, N. A. (1981). Field guide to North American seashore creatures. <em>The Audubon Society.</em> 1-799. [details]
additional source Pollock, L.W. (1998). A practical guide to the marine animals of northeastern North America. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey & London. 367 pp., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=i1AmT31cuR4C [details]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
[request]additional source van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
additional source Meinkoth, N. A. (1981). Field guide to North American seashore creatures. <em>The Audubon Society.</em> 1-799. [details]
additional source Pollock, L.W. (1998). A practical guide to the marine animals of northeastern North America. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New Jersey & London. 367 pp., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=i1AmT31cuR4C [details]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From regional or thematic species database
Introduced species vector dispersal in Germany (Nation) : Individual release: deliberate release by individuals [details]Unreviewed
Distribution Gulf of Maine to Gulf of Mexico [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| English | horseshoe crab | [details] |
To Barcode of Life (15 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (30 publications) (from synonym Limulus cyclops Fabricius, 1793)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (549 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Limulus polyphemus)
To Fishipedia
To GenBank (826451 nucleotides; 39086 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To Information system on Aquatic Non-Indigenous and Cryptogenic Species (AquaNIS)
To IUCN Red List (Vulnerable)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Limulus polyphemus USNM 43145; Whole Animal, Dorsal)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Limulus polyphemus USNM 43145; Whole Animal, Ventral)
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Arthropoda Collection (16 records)
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 070174)
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (30 publications) (from synonym Limulus cyclops Fabricius, 1793)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (549 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Limulus polyphemus)
To Fishipedia
To GenBank (826451 nucleotides; 39086 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To Information system on Aquatic Non-Indigenous and Cryptogenic Species (AquaNIS)
To IUCN Red List (Vulnerable)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Limulus polyphemus USNM 43145; Whole Animal, Dorsal)
To NMNH Extant Collection (Limulus polyphemus USNM 43145; Whole Animal, Ventral)
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Arthropoda Collection (16 records)
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 070174)
To ITIS
Unreviewed
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
