Horseshoe
crabs on the beach (credit to Google)
What?
“Blue blood?” Expensive? I am quite surprising when reading an
article about price of blue blood of a horseshoe crab, a primitive
marine creature.
When
I was a
little
kid, I found these
creatures on the beach while low tide. The horseshoe crabs are older
than dinosaurs in term of evolutionary time.
They
were appearing about more
than 200
million years ago, thus categorized as “living fossil.”
In
the USA, if we
lucky enough, we
may spot this living fossil along the coastline of Maine to Florida
to Texas and then to Mexico in the
summer
season.
The
scientific name for American horseshoe crab is Limulus
polypemus.
Other three species are found in tropical Indo-Pacific,
mainly in South East Asia countries:
-
Tachypleus
gigas
-
Tachypleus
tridentatus
-
Carcinoscorpius
rotundicauda
Blue
blood was taken by bleeding horseshoe crabs (credit to Google)
Based
on scientific name, horseshoe crab is not really crab.
Close to spider and scorpion than to crab.
Why
their blood color are blue? To carry oxygen in the blood, horseshoe
crabs
use hemocyanin, and hemocyanin contains copper to cause blood to be
blue.
As
comparison that mammals use hemoglobin to carry oxygen in their
blood. Hemoglobin contains iron which make red color of blood.
Male
on the top of female when they are breeding (credit to Google)
Price
tag is US$ 60 thousands equal to Euro 53 thousand or US$ 16,000
per liter. So expensive.
It
is because highly demand of horseshoe crabs blood by pharmaceutical
companies. The companies catch the living fossil, and brought to lab
to drain up the animal blood.
Around
30% of animals blood are taken, then released back to ocean. List of
companies collect the blue blood are:
-
Associates of Cape Cod
-
Wako Chemical
-
Lonza
-
Charles River Endosafe
-
Limuli Labs
Blue
blood is extracted for Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL). The LAL then
applied to detect virus, bacteria and toxin in the substances.
Have
you seen horseshoe crab on the beach?
So interesting :) I've never heard about 'blue blood' before :)
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
Horseshoe crabs on the beach
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
Delete-
Around 30% of animals blood are taken, then released back to ocean. List of companies collect the blue blood are:
Horrible.
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
What? “Blue blood?” Expensive? I am quite surprising when reading an article about price of blue blood of a horseshoe crab, a primitive marine creature.
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
Delete-
- Associates of Cape Cod
- Wako Chemical
- Lonza
- Charles River Endosafe
- Limuli Labs
I've never heard about it.
ReplyDeleteBest regards
Thank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
They were appearing about more than 200 million years ago, thus categorized as “living fossil.”
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
Delete-
Have you seen horseshoe crab on the beach?
I think I'm gonna throw up :/
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
In the USA, if we lucky enough, we may spot this living fossil along the coastline of Maine to Florida to Texas and then to Mexico in the summer season.
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
Delete-
Horseshoe crabs on the beach
Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard about this animal before.
Have a nice day.
galerafashion.com
Thank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
The scientific name for American horseshoe crab is Limulus polypemus. Other three species are found in tropical Indo-Pacific, mainly in South East Asia countries:
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
Delete-
What? “Blue blood?” Expensive? I am quite surprising when reading an article about price of blue blood of a horseshoe crab, a primitive marine creature.
omg,blue blood, they're of a noble descent!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on my blog too, and, have a nice weekend! ^^
Thank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
- Tachypleus gigas
- Tachypleus tridentatus
- Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
DeleteSure looks different then the crab over west coast.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Thank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
Blue blood was taken by bleeding horseshoe crabs
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
DeleteVery interesting post.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend.
Thank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
Based on scientific name, horseshoe crab is not really crab. Close to spider and scorpion than to crab.
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
DeleteThat is interesting. Something I knew not at all.
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
Why their blood color are blue? To carry oxygen in the blood, horseshoe crabs use hemocyanin, and hemocyanin contains copper to cause blood to be blue.
Tanza, this is a fascinating article! I never knew that we drew this benefit from horseshoe crabs (which we see here on the North Florida beaches). I'm glad they can "give" their blood and then live on and that we don't kill them to get this product.
ReplyDeleteyes, they are released back to ocean.....
DeleteThank you to visit:
Why “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
As comparison that mammals use hemoglobin to carry oxygen in their blood. Hemoglobin contains iron which make red color of blood.
wow! Fascinating. I had no idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
Price tag is US$ 60 thousands equal to Euro 53 thousand or US$ 16,000 per liter. So expensive.
Kegunaannya untuk apa mas Tanza?
ReplyDeleteThank you to visit:
DeleteWhy “Blue Blood” is Cost for US$ 60 Thousand per Gallon?
@
It is because highly demand of horseshoe crabs blood by pharmaceutical companies. The companies catch the living fossil, and brought to lab to drain up the animal blood.