these creatures have roamed the Earth,

but now their future is uncertain.

This is the American horseshoe crab.

Found along the Atlantic coastline of North America,

the American horseshoe crab spends the majority of its time

in shallow waters but comes to shore to mate.

The crab has 10 eyes, the two most obvious ones

are on the top of its shell

but the others are on the tail and near the mouth.

Horseshoe crabs are harvested for their blood

which has helped prevent illnesses across the globe;

but with the development of their natural habitat

and over-harvesting, this once abundant animal

has now seen such a rapid decline in numbers

that they are considered a vulnerable species.

This is the American horseshoe crab.