9 Things You Need to Know About Horseshoe Crabs

horseshoe crabs, 450 million years in the universe. “Are they aliens?” about these animals that survived even when the continents were still adjacent. Don’t say that because they are not. has undergone evolutionary adaptation Even though they were, they continued to be close to their original state until today.

“Living fossils” Before getting to the facts about the horseshoe crab, also known as the crab, they are not actually crabs. marine arthropods Let’s point out that they are in the class. They are more closely related to spiders and scorpions.

Their mouth is in the middle of their 10 legs.

Horseshoe crabs with legs attached to the mouth it has 10 legs and they use the last pairs to move food to their mouths. The algae, oysters they found in the sea, worms Before eating other small prey, they use their front legs as pliers and crush their prey. Because horseshoe crabs They don’t have jaws.

Looking at their type, you may think they are dangerous, but they do not pose a threat.

Horseshoe crabs may be considered dangerous due to their appearance resembling stingrays, but They do not bite or sting. They do not use their tail as a weapon. The function of the tail for them is to turn themselves around when they are flipped over by the wave. However, if you see a horseshoe crab one day and want to hold it, do not grab it by the tail. hold the side of the shell. Because the shells have thorns along the edge.

The sought-after taste of gourmets

Horseshoe crab has been on the table for a long time. Because some people think that this animal tasty he thinks it is. You can guess where horseshoe crab can be eaten, since it is not available on our or similar tables.

horseshoe crab eggs, In China and Southeast Asia Regions is often preferred. There are also those who eat female horseshoe crabs, especially because they think they are tastier. Of course, gourmets choosing females causes the population to decline.

They do acrobatics in the water.

Even though they are bulky on land, horseshoe crabs move freely in water, and their bellies wing-like book gills is available. In fact, although these gills enable them to breathe, they sometimes use them to swim upside down. This behavior is usually shown by young people.

During spawning periods, the coasts turn into a feast.

When mating, the male crab hangs on the top of the female’s shell and together they move towards the Delaware Bay coast. Ancient creatures are found in clusters on beaches where hundreds of thousands can be seen. about 4 thousand eggs visible.

Female horseshoe crabs, which can lay approximately 20 thousand eggs in one night, can lay nearly a hundred thousand eggs during their mating season. Fertilization of eggs is new moon and full moon It happens during high tide.

Unfortunately, so many eggs cannot survive.

When you hear the number of eggs, you wonder, “How is this for reproduction?” you can say. But many eggs do not survive to their hatching point, let alone reach adulthood. Because eggs; migratory birds, Food source for some fish species and sea turtles.

They shine in UV light.

Horseshoe crabs have 9 eyes light receptors There is also. These creatures generally use their two eyes to find potential mates, and their smaller eyes are Sensitive to UV light. It is still unknown why it emits light.

They shed their skin 16 times.

Horseshoe crabs do not reach full maturity for the first 10 years of their lives and continue to grow consistently. However, their shells do not grow with them and they shed their skin 16 times until they mature. Although their shells are hard, these animals are also resistant to the outside world. It is quite sensitive. The average age of horseshoe crabs that begin to mature at age 10 is The life expectancy is 20 years.

Maybe some of us owe our lives to the horseshoe crab.

Some of us may have heard his name during Covid-19 because we had a lot of work to do with vaccines. In horseshoe crabs, it helps fight infection, just like we do. no white blood cells.

Instead, they contain copper to carry oxygen and make blood blue. hemocyanin there is. Additionally, their blood contains a substance called LAL (Limulus amebocyte lysate), which clots when exposed to bacterial toxins.

In 1950, a doctor named Johns Hopkins found that this substance, found in horseshoe crab blood, could be used to test the safety of vaccines and other drugs. Thereupon, scientists started using horseshoe crab. For approximately two days, the animals 30 percent blood is drawn and then released back to their lives in the water.

But there is another truth. After 10 percent to 30 percent of horseshoe crabs used for medicinal purposes return to water does not survive or some of those who remain appear lethargic, not exhibiting healthy behavior.

To eliminate the need to use animals, their blood a synthetic version being produced. Although these are partially used in the pharmaceutical industry, the blood of crabs continues to be collected.

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