The horseshoe crab and the fascination of the abyss

The horseshoe crab has been roaming the seabed for more than 450 million years and yet it has never been photographed so clearly. For this feat, this photo won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 award. Ten eyes, a horseshoe-shaped shell...: this horseshoe crab having survived the dinosaurs is fascinating. Behind this little-known animal hides one of the oldest species in our ecosystem. It was in the China Sea, in the middle of the night and at a depth of 15 meters, that Laurent Ballesta, biologist and underwater photographer, took this photo. He tells us about this quest for an extraordinary image: following the horseshoe crab for hours to get the perfect photo. This creature from the seabed brings to our imagination the disturbing world of the abyss. Fleur Hopkins, doctor in art history, explains to us how the horseshoe crab and its shell have inspired pop culture in recent years.