Admin Meerwasser-Lexikon
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Horseshoe crabs are not related to crustaceans, but to arachnids.
Tachypleus tridentatus is an arthropod that limits its range to the area around its natal site.
Disturbance at the by boating, electricity, cyanide trapping, and bombing can affect the growth of Tachypleus tridentatus and produce sexually mature adults of unusual size.
On August 27, 2016, a photo was taken of hundreds of washed up dead Japanese horseshoe crabs on beaches near Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Tachypleus tridentatus is largest of the four species existing worldwide:
Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (Latreille, 1802)
Limulus polyphemus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tachypleus gigas (O. F. Müller, 1785)
Juvenile horseshoe crabs are often preyed upon by seabirds in shallow water zones.
The blue blood of arrowtails is extremely important for medicine, because once the blood comes into contact with toxins from certain bacteria, it coagulates like sour milk.
This helps to verify that injections, infusions, vaccines and medical instruments/devices are sterile, i.e. germ-free, for surgery (Limulus amebocyte lysate test (LAL test).
Since large quantities of blood from horseshoe crabs are needed annually, breeding is performed, but it is said to be very difficult!
Synonyms:
Limulus tridentatus Leach, 1819
Limulus longispina van der Hoeven, 1838
Tachypleus tridentatus is an arthropod that limits its range to the area around its natal site.
Disturbance at the by boating, electricity, cyanide trapping, and bombing can affect the growth of Tachypleus tridentatus and produce sexually mature adults of unusual size.
On August 27, 2016, a photo was taken of hundreds of washed up dead Japanese horseshoe crabs on beaches near Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Tachypleus tridentatus is largest of the four species existing worldwide:
Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (Latreille, 1802)
Limulus polyphemus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tachypleus gigas (O. F. Müller, 1785)
Juvenile horseshoe crabs are often preyed upon by seabirds in shallow water zones.
The blue blood of arrowtails is extremely important for medicine, because once the blood comes into contact with toxins from certain bacteria, it coagulates like sour milk.
This helps to verify that injections, infusions, vaccines and medical instruments/devices are sterile, i.e. germ-free, for surgery (Limulus amebocyte lysate test (LAL test).
Since large quantities of blood from horseshoe crabs are needed annually, breeding is performed, but it is said to be very difficult!
Synonyms:
Limulus tridentatus Leach, 1819
Limulus longispina van der Hoeven, 1838
