Even though we call them “crabs,” horseshoe crabs are not true crabs. They have a hard shell, many legs underneath, and a long tail called a telson. The tail may look dangerous, but it is not a weapon. Horseshoe crabs use it for balance and to help turn themselves over if they get flipped upside down.

Before I started learning about menhaden, I had never really thought about them. They are small, silver fish. They do not have giant teeth. They are not colorful like tropical fish. Most people probably would not stop and say, “Wow, look at that menhaden!”