In the world of nature we meet curious animals that capture our attention. It is enough to remember the star-nosed mole or the mimic octopus, to marvel at the diversity of nature. this time We want to talk to you about a species that simply fascinates us, the strange saucepan crab. If you are ever lucky enough to come across the unique horseshoe crab, you will have the clear feeling of having stepped back in time, of being at least in the Cretaceous period.
The horseshoe crab is a unique species within our ecosystem, to which we must be very grateful for various reasons: the first for have authentic “blue blood” with incredible applications for medicine. The second, and a little less cruel for this original being, is to rise as one of the oldest and most curious forms of life on this planet. Today in Supercurioso we tell you what this wonderful animal is like and where it lives.
The horseshoe crab, how is this rare species?
Few species have the extraordinary honor of being considered as real living fossils and the horseshoe crab or pan crab, is one of them.
The curiosities about crabs in general are many, but this subspecies takes our attention in a withering way. Regarding his appearance, more than a casserole, the horseshoe crab has a body very similar to the mythical ship business from the science fiction series star trek.
And I’m not kidding, Captain Kirk’s ship designer, Herbert Wright, was based on the horseshoe crab to create it, since on his table he had one of these copies. Interesting, right?
Apart from its simply “sophisticated” appearance, the saucepan crab holds the record for being one of the oldest living things on the planet, predating even the dinosaurs.
But the truth is that the crab family has rather little. In fact, it adds more similarities with the arachnid family. It is, so to speak, a kind of living fossil with a about 450 million years old. Impressive, what do you think?
pan crab blood
If anything draws attention to the pan crab is its blood, literally bluejust like those of the princes in fairy tales.
But, unfortunately, it is precisely this curiosity that can lead the species to definitive extinction. It is not a simple phrase to say that the horseshoe crab is blue blooded.
In fact, this animal It has blue hemoglobin that has been an indispensable material in countless laboratories around the world. These laboratories have been eager to find the secret of longevity and it is that this nice being, which pretends to be rather a strange walking pot with legs, lives for many years.
But there are even more reasons that return to the blood of the horseshoe crab, such an interesting and appetizing element for medical science. This fluid, at the moment it comes into contact with the air, turns a bright blue color.
It is then that a whole treasure of elements for medicine is found. Thanks to the blood of the horseshoe crab, many retrovirals have been synthesized to treat AIDS, and countless medical treatments. Its secret lies in cells called amebocytes, which react to different types of infections.
An interesting fact about these little animals is that when they are injured in the sea, their blood turns solid, thus avoiding the entry of microorganisms, protecting itself from any type of infection. Truly magnificent, and one of the reasons the enzymes in their blood have allowed them to survive millions of years.
Today, thanks to the horseshoe crab, we have endless antibiotics that we use every day. For example, its use is applied curing flu and many other common illnesses, but also somewhat more serious illnesses.
Thanks to a being older than the dinosaurs, a strange creature with a unique shell that, perhaps, would like to live more peacefully and not so persecuted by the pharmaceutical industries. And the fact is that, thanks to the voracious search and exploitation by the pharmaceutical industry, the pan crab has joined the list of animals in danger of extinction.
Some curiosities of the pan crab
The simple fact of mentioning that the horseshoe crab is a living fossil is already enough to attract powerful attention. However, with the encouragement that you get to know this interesting species a little better, We share some of its curiosities.
- The scientific name of the horseshoe crab is Limulus polyphemus. However, this animal is known as pan crab, sea pan, sea tank and even sea cockroach.
- The habitat of the Atlantic horseshoe crab is the Gulf of Mexico, usually. They are especially found on the North Atlantic coast in this gulf.
- The pan crab feeds on worms. It also feeds on molluscs and other invertebrates.
- This animal spends much of its life buried in the sand. And it is that he is aware from where he captures his prey.
- The horseshoe crab is disappearing. To a large extent, this recession is due to captures for pharmaceutical companies, although it is also due to climate change, especially the acceleration of greenhouse gas effects. The right thing to do to preserve this species is to think of collective actions that preserve nature above industrial destruction.
- The blood of the pan crab too It is used to carry out some tests on astronauts.
And so far our approach to the horseshoe crab has come. You know that at Supercurioso we love to write about these little-known animals with striking and strange appearances and characteristics. However, we always plan to read to you too. You can leave your comment, contribution or opinion at the bottom. For example, tell us, what do you think of this animal? It’s very curious isn’t it? You can also share it with your friends to let them know its interesting story.