The horseshoe crab | Your blue blood can save lives!

In the world of nature we find that capture our attention. It is enough to remember the star-nosed mole or the mime octopus, to marvel at the diversity of nature. On this occasion We want to talk to you about a species that simply fascinates us, the strange casserole crab. If you are ever lucky enough to come across the unique horseshoe crab, you will have the clear feeling of having gone back in time, of being at least in the Cretaceous period.

The horseshoe crab is a unique species within our ecosystem, to which we must be very grateful for several reasons: the first for have authentic «blue blood» with incredible applications for medicine. The second, and a little less cruel for this original being, is to rise as one of the oldest and most curious forms of life on this planet. Today at we tell you what this wonderful animal is like and where it lives.

The horseshoe crab, what is this rare species like?

Few species have the extraordinary honor of being considered as authentic living fossils and the horseshoe crab or casserole crab is one of them.

There are many curiosities about crabs in general, but this subspecies takes our attention in a lightning-fast way. Regarding its appearance, More than a casserole, the horseshoe crab has a body very similar to the mythical ship Enterprise from the science fiction series Star Trek.

And I kid you not, the designer of Captain Kirk’s ship, Herbert Wright, was based on the horseshoe crab to create it, since he had one of these copies on his table. Interesting, right?

Apart from its simply «sophisticated» appearance, The casserole crab has the record of being one of the oldest living beings on the planet, even predating the dinosaurs..

But the truth is that it has very little of the crab family. In fact, it adds more similarities with the arachnid family. It is, so to speak, a kind of living fossil with a antiquity close to 450 million years. Impressive, what do you think?

Crab Blood Casserole

If something draws attention about the casserole crab, it is its blood, literally bluejust like those of fairy tale princes.

But, unfortunately, it is precisely this curiosity that can lead the species to definitive extinction. It is not a simple phrase to say that the horseshoe crab has blue blood.

In fact, this animal It has blue hemoglobin that has been indispensable material in countless laboratories around the world. These laboratories have been eager to find the secret of longevity and that is that this friendly being, which pretends to be more like a strange walking pot with legs, lives for many years.

But there are even more reasons that return to the blood of the horseshoe crab, such an interesting and desirable element for medical science. This fluid, when it comes into contact with air, turns a bright blue color.

It is then that a treasure trove of elements for medicine is found. Thanks to the blood of the horseshoe crab, many retrovirals have been synthesized to treat AIDS, and countless medical treatments. Its secret is in cells called amebocytes, which react to different types of infections.

An interesting fact about these little animals is that when they are injured in the sea, their blood becomes solid, thus preventing the entry of microorganisms, protecting itself from any type of infection. Truly magnificent, and one of the reasons why the enzymes in their blood have allowed them to survive millions of years.

Today, thanks to the horseshoe crab, we have an endless number of antibiotics that we use daily. For example, its use is applied to cure flu and many other common diseases, but also somewhat more serious diseases.

Thanks to a being older than the dinosaurs, a strange creature with a unique shell that, perhaps, would like to live more peacefully and not so persecuted by the pharmaceutical industries. And the fact is that, thanks to the voracious search and exploitation by the pharmaceutical industry, the casserole crab has joined the list of animals in danger of extinction.

Some curiosities about casserole crab

The simple fact of mentioning that the horseshoe crab is a living fossil is enough to draw powerful attention. However, in the hope that you get to know this interesting species a little better, We share some of their curiosities with you.

  • The scientific name of the horseshoe crab is Limulus polyphemus. However, this animal is known as casserole crab, sea casserole, sea tank and even sea cockroach.
  • The habitat of the Atlantic horseshoe crab is the Gulf of Mexico, usually. They are especially found on the coasts of the North Atlantic in this gulf.
  • The casserole crab feeds on worms. It also feeds on mollusks and other invertebrates.
  • This animal spends much of its life buried in the sand. And that’s where he knows where he captures his prey.
  • The horseshoe crab is disappearing. To a large extent this recession is due to captures for pharmaceutical companies, although it is also due to climate change, especially the acceleration of greenhouse gas effects. The correct thing to preserve this species is to think about collective actions that preserve nature above industrial destruction.
  • Casserole crab blood too It is used to carry out some tests on astronauts.

And this is where our approach to the horseshoe crab has come. You know that at we love to write about these little-known animals with striking and strange appearances and characteristics. However, we always plan to read you too. You can leave your comment, contribution or opinion at the bottom. For example, tell us, what did you think of this animal? It’s very curious, isn’t it? You can also share it with your friends so they know its interesting story.