Bits & Pieces

Did you know that the horseshoe crab precedes dinosaurs by more than 100 million years? Its closest relative, the trilobite died out more than 250 million years ago. It is called the living fossil. They are not crabs, nor crustaceans, they are more related to arachnids, such as spiders, ticks, and scorpions. The American horseshoe crab can be found between Maine and the Yucatan Peninsula, most of the population is concentrated between Virginia and New Jersey. They spend winters in deep waters and in springtime head to shallow waters and beaches to spawn.

Delaware Bay, hosts the largest concentration of spawning horseshoe crab in the world.

Why I am bringing this odd creature to our blog? Over fishing of these animals has endangered the marine turtles, birds, and other species, and also humans. The horseshoe crab is important to disinfect our hospitals, in 1950 scientists discovered a copper based compound in their blood that clots when in contact with harmful bacteria. Many countries around the world including the US, now require that the biomedical industry use this compound, called lysate, to test almost any object or substance used during a medical procedure that could cause infection--syringes, scalpels, intravenous drugs.

Thanks to lysate ability to alert against infection, the horseshoe crab has helped save many lives, more than a million people, according to one estimate, since the compound was discovered. In order to supply the industry, with this compound, it is necessary to catch and bled 300,000 crabs per year.

Scientist are working hard to stop de decline of the horseshoe crab, establishing limits in its catch, there is nothing to replace it. We need them, especially now when micro-organism are mutating and causing havoc. Horseshoe crabs are indispensable for us.

Source: Adapted and summarized from Nature Conservancy magazine, article by Jennifer Uscher, titled Jurassic Beach, p.34-43 Summer 2008.