Galleries : Undying Tales 2021 : UT 20 - Horseshoe Crab
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Tachypleus tridentatus Status: Endangered, due to habitat loss — sea level rise and coastal erosion, and over-harvesting for biomedical use. They are harvested because their blue colored blood is a critical for testing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Their blood contains a unique substance that coagulates when contaminated by bacteria. Horseshoe crabs are “living fossils”, unchanged for millions of years as other creatures evolved and died and sprang forth and the world churned and changed. In Japan, the horseshoe crab is called kabutogani, warrior’s helmet crab. According to Shinto doctrine of reincarnation, they are the reincarnation of samurai warriors who fought at battles along the shores of Japan.
Size: 7 x 7 inches Detail closeups:
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