it has developed many systems that all increase its chances of survival. The most important of these is the crabs blood, which contains a powerful clotting agent, known as LAL (Limulus amebocyte lysate). Horseshoe crabs have no immune system, and so they are highly susceptible to infection from the endotoxins that exist within the ocean around it. Ordinarily the exo-skeleton protects the crab from these toxins. When the crab is wounded however, and the interior of it is exposed to the murky, bacteria-ridden ocean, the active ingredient in its blood (LAL) immediately seals and forms a clot. This clot protects the crab from the dangerous toxins that surround it.
This active ingredient has also become incredibly useful to humans. Endotoxins are just as dangerous if they come into contact with us, because of this, pharmaceuticals such as injections need to be checked and tested for these toxins. This test is known as a LAL test
.It is an interesting quirk that one of the main mechanisms by which this animal survives, has caused so much harm to the species once humans discovered how useful it was to them.
Aesthetically the crabs are rather similar in a way to the "facehugger" from alien. Although the horseshoe crab sports a carapace that covers the entirety of its delicate organs. The carapace protects the entirety of the crab, look at the way that legs fit perfectly inside it, exposing very little vital components to would-be predators. With a central "hinge" that provides some flexibility, especially to the tail that has become a means of self-righting when the crab is tipped over.
Its similarity to the face-hugger is somewhat due to the fact that the Horseshoe Crab is not actually a crab. It is in fact not a crustacean at-all, and is a member of the arachnid family, one that includes scorpions and spiders, but also the parasitic ticks and mites (which may explain a bit more about why the design was based around this class of arthropods).
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