unidentified sea critter

[RV]

The wife and kids just got back from the beach (Perdido Key, FL), where the boy captured an unidentified sea critter.
He caught it in the surf with his net.

The boy (6) said it had a turtle shell, crab claws, and two tails.

The girl (8) said it had a three segmented shell, crab claws, and two tails. The wife said it was kinda like a tiny stingray with legs and a stingray type tail.
.
The top pic is the boys vision
.

.
the bottom pic is the girls rendering.
.

.
anyone have any idea what it was?
.
.

 

[paulwall]

The wife and kids just got back from the beach (Perdido Key, FL), where the boy captured an unidentified sea critter.
He caught it in the surf with his net.

The boy (6) said it had a turtle shell, crab claws, and two tails.

The girl (8) said it had a three segmented shell, crab claws, and two tails. The wife said it was kinda like a tiny stingray with legs and a stingray type tail.
.
The top pic is the boys vision
.

the bottom pic is the girls rendering.
.

.
anyone have any idea what it was?
.
.

Horseshoe crab..

Creepy, reminds me of the Egg depositors in Alien

 

[RV]

that's what I was thinking but they say nope definitely not it.

they said it was small.. maybe a couple of across, with two tail about as long as it's body.

 

[JPENDERGRAST]

Perhaps a Sand flea which was upside down? They come in with waves, and are somewhat simliar to what you described. Picture below. The size would be right as well since a big sand flea is no larger than 4" long.

 

[Standard11]

this maybe?

 

[RV]

nope and nope.
my wife said it look kinda like a stingray

 

[H2Andy]

the thing in the drawings has claws or forked "antennas" jutting forward

that would rule out a horseshoe crab ... those tend to be larger anyway ...

how big was the thing?

maybe something like this sand flea? they come in all sorts of interesting shapes

 

[RV]

maybe a couple of inches.. my wife said it look like a tiny stingray with legs

 

[H2Andy]

hmmm .... well, stingrays don't have claws or antennas or legs during any stage of their development

hmmmm ...

 

[H2Andy]

maybe it's some sort of mole crab?

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