Horseshoe Crab’s Blue Blood Becomes a Medical Ingredient, Costs as Much as a Car

JAKARTA – Horseshoe crabs are highly hunted because ancient animals from 445 million years ago it had fantastically valuable blue blood. The selling value reaches IDR 200 million per liter or the equivalent of the price of a car.

The horseshoe crab, or Limulus polyphemus, is a famous ancient marine animal with unique blue blood. This blood is what makes horseshoe crabs a valuable commodity in the medical world. This fantastic price is equivalent to several benefits that Horseshoe Crabs have:

Benefits of Horseshoe Crab

Reporting from Myfwc, Wednesday (6/3/2024), blood from horseshoe crabs is an important source of medical materials because it plays a role in maintaining the safety of drugs and equipment in the world of medical care. This blood protein, known as Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL), is used by pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturers to test their products for the presence of endotoxins.

Additionally, research continues to explore other benefits of horseshoe crabs. One of them is related to human eye health. This type of crab is believed to have the potential to improve eyesight.

Horseshoe crabs also play an important role in coastal ecosystems because their eggs are a primary food for shorebirds migrating north, including the endangered red knot.

This migration of shorebirds naturally coincides with peaks of horseshoe crab spawning activity in areas such as Delaware and the Chesapeake Bay. Beaches with this spawning activity provide important resting places for shorebirds, allowing them to replenish energy and continue their journey.

Horseshoe crabs are also often kept in aquariums, used as research subjects, or as learning materials in education.

However, overfishing of horseshoe crabs has caused this species to experience a population decline. This makes the horseshoe crab an endangered species. Various conservation efforts are underway to protect horseshoe crabs.

MG/Dinda Amelia Putri

(msf)