What are Horseshoe Crabs?
Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have been around for over 350 million years, having shared this planet with the dinosaurs. Many scientists refer to them as “living fossils.” Horseshoe crabs have a large dark brown shell with 5 pairs of legs, 5 pairs of gills, a spike-like tail, and bump-like eyes. Female horseshoe crabs are larger than males and can reach a total length of 2 feet, including the tail. Living as long as 20 years, horseshoe crabs reach maturity at around 10 years of age, molting as they grow. Although referred to as “crabs” they are Arthropods – more closely related to spiders than to real crustaceans such as shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. Why are Horseshoe Crabs so important? • Medical uses: The blood of horseshoe crabs contains a critical component, Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate, known as LAL. This unique compound clots when exposed to bacteria or bacterial endotoxins. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration requires all drugs intended for human consumption to be tested usin
