Horse shoe Crab
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Chelicerata Class: Merostomata Order: Xiphosura Family: Limulidae Genus: Limulus Species: polyphemus |
MORPHOLOGY: Horseshoe crabs are invertebrates and therefore also have bilateral symmetry. These kinds of crabs have and outer shell that is divided into three parts: the carapace, the abdomen, and the tail section. The carapace contains the horseshoe crabs legs, mouth, brain, eyes, and heart. Horseshoe crabs also have gills that they uses to be able to breath underwater. They can also be used to breath on land for short periods of time.
|
IMPORTANCE: MEDICAL
Horseshoe crabs are valuable as a species to the medical research community, and in medical testing. The above-mentioned clotting reaction of the animal's blood is used in the widely used Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test to detect bacterial endotoxins in pharmaceuticals and to test for several bacterial diseases.
Enzymes from horseshoe crab blood are used by astronauts in the International Space Station to test surfaces for unwanted bacteria and fungi.
A protein from horseshoe crab blood is also under investigation as a novel antibiotic. LAL is obtained from the animals' blood. Horseshoe crabs are returned to the ocean after bleeding, although some 3% die during the process. Studies show the blood volume returns to normal in about a week, though blood cell count can take two to three months to fully rebound. One quart costs $15,000 dollars.
Enzymes from horseshoe crab blood are used by astronauts in the International Space Station to test surfaces for unwanted bacteria and fungi.
A protein from horseshoe crab blood is also under investigation as a novel antibiotic. LAL is obtained from the animals' blood. Horseshoe crabs are returned to the ocean after bleeding, although some 3% die during the process. Studies show the blood volume returns to normal in about a week, though blood cell count can take two to three months to fully rebound. One quart costs $15,000 dollars.
INteresting Facts
- Horseshoe crabs used to be called "horsefoot crabs" due to their shape. However, throughout time, the name has switched to what is now called the horseshoe crab.
- Because horseshoe crabs have so many legs, they can actually swim upside down!
- Horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than to actual crabs.
- An underwater shot of a horseshoe crab.
- This organism can go up to one full year without feeding itself if the temperatures and salinity are too extreme!
- The blood of a horseshoe is actually blue! It is blue because the blood is copper based.
- If a horseshoe crabs loses a third of its blood it will still continue to live.
- The horseshoe crab's tail may appear to be dangerous but in reality it is not used as a weapon.
- Each time a horseshoe crab molts it gets ~25% larger!
SOURCES:http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/volz_mack/facts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_horseshoe_crab
http://estuaries.noaa.gov/Teachers/pdf/07_Horseshoe_Crab_TG.pdf
http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch7invertebrates/Invertwp/2007/tina/Struct.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_horseshoe_crab
http://estuaries.noaa.gov/Teachers/pdf/07_Horseshoe_Crab_TG.pdf
http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch7invertebrates/Invertwp/2007/tina/Struct.html