How much is a horseshoe crab worth?

How much is a horseshoe crab worth?

On the world market, a quart of horseshoe crab blood has a price tag of an estimated $15,000, leading to overall revenues from the LAL industry estimated at U.S. $50 million per year.

Why is the blood of the horseshoe crab so valuable?

So why is it so expensive and who's buying horseshoe crab blood? ... The blood contains a special clotting agent. It's used to make a concoction called Limulus amebocyte lysate or LAL. Before LAL, scientists had no easy way of knowing whether a vaccine or medical tool was contaminated with bacteria.

How much of the horseshoe crab's blood is removed?

After the biomedical horseshoe-crab collectors get them back to a lab, they pierce the tissue around the animals' hearts and drain up to 30 percent of the animals' blood. The LAL is extracted from the blood, and can go for $15,000 per quart.

How much blood does each horseshoe crab have?

Although it has been subjected to extensive harvesting as bait for the eel and conch fisheries29, the American horseshoe crab is still reasonably plentiful and allows the non-destructive collection of 50 mL of blood from a small adult and as much as 400 mL from a large female.

Can I harvest and sell horseshoe crab blood?

“This harvest of horseshoe crabs is illegal and should not be allowed to continue one more year,” Catherine Wannamaker, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. The Atlantic horseshoe crab is a protected species and a longtime contributor to biomedical research.

What color is horseshoe crab blood?

Horseshoe crabs are also extremely important to the biomedical industry because their unique, copper-based blue blood contains a substance called "Limulus Amebocyte Lysate", or "LAL".

Is it safe to touch a horseshoe crab?

No! Horseshoe crabs do not bite or sting. ... Instead, horseshoe crabs use their tails for righting themselves if they are flipped over by a wave. They do have spines along the edge of their carapace, so if you must handle them, be careful and pick them up by the sides of the shell, not the tail.

Should I flip horseshoe crabs?

The idea is simple: when you see a horseshoe crab that is stranded upside down on the beach, just flip them over. It's important not to flip them by their tail, however. Even though it looks scary, the tail is very delicate and can be easily damaged. The best way to turn them over is by the edge of their shell.

How do horseshoe crabs save lives?

• In fact, horseshoe crabs help save thousands of human lives every year. Nearly 50 years ago, scientists discovered the horseshoe crab’s clotting-response to bacterial toxins. Now, its blood is harvested in huge quantities, to be used in a test to ensure medical products are not contaminated.

Why is the horseshoe crab called a horseshoe crab?

• The name "horseshoe crab" originates from the rounded shape of the head, because just like the shoe on a horse's foot, the head is round and U-shaped. It's the largest part of the body and contains much of the nervous and biological organs.

What is horseshoe crab medicine?

• Horseshoe crab blood is most notably used to manufacture Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), which is used to ensure vaccines and medical equipment are free of bacterial contamination.