Local News
Concerned residents in Falmouth, Weymouth, and Nahant reported an unusual number of what appeared to be dead horseshoe crabs on local beaches.
What might look like a massacre of horseshoe crabs lining Massachusetts beaches recently isn’t as gruesome as it seems, state officials say.
After concerned residents in Falmouth, Weymouth, and Nahant reported an unusual number of dead horseshoe crabs on local beaches, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries confirmed the crabs weren’t dead.
“It’s OK,” the state agency wrote on Facebook, “the horseshoe crabs are just molting!”
Due to the molting, their exoskeletons are washing up on the beaches, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries. Peak horseshoe crab molting season is the late summer and early fall, so beachgoers should expect to see the exoskeletons cast off by horseshoe crabs as they grow.
“To tell the difference between a dead crab and a molt, look for a slit along the front rim of the shell. This is where the crab split and exited its old shell,” the state agency wrote on Facebook.
Horseshoe crabs molt multiples times in their first three years of life, the agency noted, and then about once per year until they are nine to 11 years old. Horseshoe crabs can live to be around 20 years, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries.
The crabs are mostly seen on Massachusetts beaches when mating on sandy beaches in May and June. Now, beachgoers may see a different view during the crabs’ molting season.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
