David Singapogu
Sept 4, 2020
The Horseshoe Crab is a fascinating invertebrate. Here are some of the Horseshoe Crab’s facts. First things first, the Horseshoe Crab is not a crab. It is more closely related to spiders and scorpions. However, instead of having Eight legs like a spider, or six like a scorpion, the Horseshoe Crab has an astonishing twelve legs! The first pair of legs are for eating only, the others are for walking as well as eating. At first sight, the Horseshoe Crab looks pretty appalling, on its back is a thick looking shell, and most frighteningly, on its back, it has a half foot long fake stinger used to scare of predators. The Horseshoe Crab dines at night and eats mainly worms, clams, and has sometimes been found eating algae. After mating, the female Horseshoe Crab goes to the beach to lay eggs. It can lay thousands upon thousands of eggs, however, only few of these will survive the harsh winter.
The Horseshoe Crab is a well-known animal, but its medical purposes are scarcely known. People, and most animals have iron-based blood, and when iron oxidizes, it turns red, which is why our blood is red. However, the Horseshoe Crab has copper- based blood, and when copper oxidizes, it turns a blue color, and hence the Horseshoe Crab’s blood is blue! The Horseshoe Crab does not have an immune system, so instead its blood clots…VERY FAST! When doctors discovered this, they took advantage of it by using Horseshoe Crab blood to test vaccines for bacteria. This has prevented some very nasty accidents from occurring. Doctors have also found out that the Horseshoe Crab’s blood may have some cancer-treating capabilities. Because of its medical purposes, Horseshoe Crab blood is practically liquid gold, and can be $15,000 for one pint. The Horseshoe Crab is an amazing specimen of God’s amazing Glory
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Horseshoe Crab.” Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 15 Oct 2018, www.britannica.com/animal/horseshoe-crab
“Horseshoe Crab” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Recources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertabrates/ Horseshoe-Crab.
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