A postage stamp on the Nature Conservation Series “Tri–spine Horseshoe Crab” :

Issued by Japan

Issued on Feb 18, 1977

Issued for : In the 13^th of the Nature Conservation Series of postage stamps, a 50-yen stamp which shows two horseshoe crabs (trachypleus tridentatus) will be issued.

Colour : Multicolour

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 50 Yen

Printing Process : Photogravure

Perforation : 13

About : 

• Taxonomically, the trachypleus tridentatus is closer to Arachnida rather than crab and belongs to xiphosura of arthropod.
• Its body is covered with two caraspaces. The front, larger caraspace covers the cephalothorax with a pair of chelae and five pairs of ambulatory legs. The rear, pentagon caraspace covers the abdominal region with gills and legs. It also has a sword-like tail. It has a length of about 60 centimeters. It lives in the waters between the North American East Coast and the Yucatan Penninsula, on the eastern and southeastern side of Asia. In Japan, it lives in the Seto Inland Sea and the Kyushu coastal areas. It spawns in the sand in July or August. It is a valuable animal which has kept living since old times without showing any change in shape. Hence it is often referred to as a “living fossil”.
• The breeding place, Oehama in Kasaoka City, is designated as a Natural Monument.

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