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 Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 5:14 pm
Questor Information Username: Katherine of Dreamland Mule SN's: N/A IoDM Newbie? (Y/N): Sure, let's go with that. :3 Serum: 55xxllp AND 65 (preferrably) - AKA Nonmorphic Horseshoe Crab CODE for your quest banner(s): N/A
Immaculate manure, I've done it! I'VE STARTED A QUEST THREAD.
I'm pretty sure this a sign of the Apocalypse.
(Will set up inna bit. DO NOT POST ON FRONT PAGE, plzkthnx.)
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:07 pm
About Moolah
This is me pretty much explaining why I put "Pipe Dream" in the thread title and not "Quest." This reason is...
I'm not taking donations.
Nope. Nada.
There are plenty of other quest threads out there, so if you feel you MUST donate, I'd rather you do it for someone else, okay? :3 I'm going to try and get this on my own.
Which pretty much ensures that I never will (by auction, anyway), but that's fine with me. This is more of an idea than a goal, anyway.
Now onto more important things!
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:08 pm
I. The Ol' Mandatory
II. On donations
III. You are here
IV.
V.
VI. Limulus Polyphemus - The Lovable Merstomatan
VII.
VIII. Artness
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV. Q & A
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:09 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:11 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:14 pm
Horseshoe Crab
Limulus polyphemus 
As you can see, horseshoe crabs look very little like crabs. That's because horseshoe crabs aren't crabs, but are classified under their own Class. Their closest relatives are the extinct Eurypterids, and the closest living relatives to horseshoe crabs are actually spiders and scorpions.
Horseshoe crabs can grow up to 20 inches long (51cm) via molting, with females being larger than males (as seen above).
In the wild, they feed on mollusks, worms, and other invertibrates found in sand, where they spend most of their time. Horseshoe crabs in captivity are known to eat squid and shrimp pieces as well.
Horseshoe crab underside
The shell of a horseshoe crab is divided into three sections: the carapace (prosoma or cephalothorax), the abdomen (opisthosoma), and the tail (telson).
The carapace contains the horseshoe crab's four compound eyes. Two are located on the actual carapace itself, and these are the lateral eyes, believed to be used for finding mates. The other two, the ventral eyes, are on its underside, by its mouth, and are thought to be used for orientation while swimming.
The carapace also houses all of the horseshoe crabs twelve legs, its mouth, and most of its organs. The smallest pair of legs, the chelicerae, are used for seizing food and placing it in the horseshoe crab's mouth, which is located in the middle of its six pairs of legs. The other five pairs are used for walking, while the second pair is modified in males for grasping the female during spawning. The last pair, the pusher legs, are used to push the horseshoe crab across the sandy sea floor.
The abdomen houses the book gills, as well as the muscles for the telson. Book gills are used for breathing both in and out of the water, for propulsion when the horseshoe crab swims, and during molting to help shed off their old shell by filling the space with water. The genital opening are located in the first of six "pages" of book gills.
The telson is used mainly to right a horseshoe crab if it is beached on its back. Additional light sensors occur on the teslon, as well as the back of the carapace, and are used to orient the horseshoe crab to light and day as well as ultraviolet light, respectively.
Horseshoe crabs reach sexual maturity after 9-11 years, and usually live to be 17-20 years old.
Horseshoe crab blood contains copper (instead of iron like in human blood), giving it a blue appearance. Horseshoe crabs also lack an immune system. Instead, a substance of their blood, called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL), binds to, an inactivates, bacterial endotoxins, and the resulting clot stops the bacteria from multiplying and reproducing, as well as blocking more bacteria from entering. LAL is drawn from horseshoe crabs, and is used to check pharmaceutical products for stray bacteria not caught after sterilization.
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:16 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:17 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:18 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:19 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:22 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:23 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:24 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:26 pm
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:26 pm
Q: Why is your Q & A the last fracking post?!?
A: 'CAUSE IT'S CALLED READING THE REST OF THE STUFF. >:3
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