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Horseshoe Crab

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 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. Despite a span of over 400 million years, the four modern species are still nearly identical to their ancient counterparts.

In Japan, the horseshoe crab is called "kabutogani": warrior's helmet crab. A kabuto is a helmet that was worn by ancient Japanese warriors, and was part of the traditional armor worn by samurai. Horseshoe crabs were said to be the reincarnation of samurai warriors who fought at battles along the shores of Japan.

 

References:
Gershwin, L. (2014). Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean. United Kingdom: University of Chicago Press.

Sadler, A. L. "The Heike Monogatari", Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. 46.2 (1918)

Bryant, Anthony J. (1991). Early Samurai: 200-1500 AD. Angus McBride, Ill. Osprey Publishing.

"'Living Fossil' Crabs Mysteriously Dying in Japan", Phys.org, Sept 2016. https://phys.org/news/2016-09-fossil-crabs-mysteriously-dying-japan.html