Limulus (Noun)
Meaning
Type genus of the family Limulidae.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Limulus polyphemus is the type species of the genus Limulus, a group of marine chelicerates also known as horseshoe crabs.
- The genus Limulus consists of several extinct and one extant species, which all share distinctive body shapes and horseshoe-shaped carapaces.
- The modern Limulus genus belongs to the family Limulidae, which is composed of only one living genus - although several extinct relatives have been identified.
- Species within the genus Limulus have distinct, chitinous exoskeletons with broad and rounded carapaces and long tails with venomous spines.
- Limulus and Mesolimulus are both part of a distinct lineage within the family Limulidae, and the exact taxonomic relationships between them are still being clarified by scientists.