Jim the Horseshoe Crab
My name is Jim, once I hatched from an egg. I had lots of siblings, and one was named Meg.
After we hatched, we crawled to the ocean, let me tell you, it was quite the commotion!
There were lots of us looking to find our way, and predators hunting, trying to make us their prey.
For 6 long days we were swimming around, by then the predators had thinned our crowd.
We have an exoskeleton, that’s what they say, and each time we grow, the old shell falls away.
After 21 days we lose our shell in a process called molting, really he whole is quite revolting.
We lived near our home beach for a couple of summers, then we went to deeper waters, just like our fathers and mothers.
We stayed there until we were fully grown, and able to have children of our own.
I met a crab, but realized he wasn’t my brother, oddly enough, spiders and scorpions are relatives of my mother.
I knew we were different than any other type of crabs, because scientist took us away to their labs!
Some fisherman caught me, and took me along, at first I was scared, that I’ll be forever gone.
For medicine, to help people, they needed my blue blood, I donated, and then they released me back with a hug.
After 8 years of scavenging the ocean floor, I returned to my childhood beach one more.
To repeat a cycle that is 475 million years old, that originated with my trilobite ancestors of old.
Being filly grown, I looked for a good spouse, just like any other animal, from a whale to a mouse.
100,000 eggs per year my wife laid, and after 2-4 weeks, new hatchlings came out and played.
The cycle continued, going on and on, and before you knew it, I was gone.
That was my life, and aren’t you glad, you listened to the story about me, Jim the Horseshoe Crab?
2016 Winner
Eric Cisliek
Grade: 6th
School: Madeira Beach Fundamental, Redington Shores, FL
Medium: Story