The horseshoe crab is a marine arthropod of the order Stegostomata with a long history. Its fossils first appeared in the Ordovician period, and fossils of horseshoe crabs similar in shape to modern horseshoe crabs appeared in the Jurassic period. They are mainly distributed in the coastal waters of Taiwan, China, as well as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Canada, the United States and Mexico. They inhabit the muddy beaches and shallow waters of harbors and estuaries.

Corpse turtles are fictitious insects based on horseshoe crabs, and their appearance is very similar to a combination of Lycopodidae and water centipedes. Usually found in tomb chambers.