Jakarta (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) – The name “Horseshoe Crab” has been gaining attention in recent days. On Tuesday (5/3/2024) morning, this creature emerged as one of the trending topics in Google searches.
The Horseshoe Crab sparked widespread discussions among the public after a post shared via the account X (@convomfs, formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday (2/3/2024). The post shared intriguing information about the horseshoe crab with blue blood.
The image in the post depicted several horseshoe crabs and a number of bottles containing blue liquid, accompanied by a caption stating that the horseshoe crab is an ancient creature that has existed for more than 400 million years.
Since it was posted, the post has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, indicating significant public interest in the Horseshoe Crab.
Previously, a report by ANTARA on Friday, April 14, 2023, highlighted the rare presence of ancient Horseshoe Crabs in Guangxi, Southern China. Researchers from the Faculty of Oceanology at Beibu Gulf University recorded rare video footage of a horseshoe crab. As a species that has existed for 400 million years, the Horseshoe Crab has retained its original form to this day.
However, fundamental questions still arise: What exactly is the Horseshoe Crab? This will be further explored.
Horseshoe Crab
The Horseshoe Crab, also known as “belangkas,” is an intriguing marine creature with its spotlight on its blue blood. According to sources at forestation.fkt.ugm.ac.id, the horseshoe crab has a unique shape, resembling a combination of a crab and a stingray.
The blue blood of the horseshoe crab holds significant value in the medical world. The presence of amoebocytes in its blood is highly sensitive to bacterial toxins and can capture them in a gel-like structure. Therefore, it is widely adopted for testing the safety of drugs and medical equipment.
Dr. Slamet Raharjo, a lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta, revealed that the horseshoe crab, also known as “mimi-mintuna” by the Javanese community, is a member of the Limulidae family or horseshoe crabs. According to him, the blue blood of the horseshoe crab comes from a copper-based substance called hemocyanin, giving it its distinctive blue hue.
This blood has a special ability to quickly capture bacteria, even in small quantities. The frozen blood of the horseshoe crab is often used as a means to test for the presence of bacteria, becoming an essential step in the medical field.
Extraordinary Benefits of Horseshoe Crab Blood
In a recent report from Bobo.grid.id, it was found that horseshoe crab blood is blue due to the presence of hemocyanin, a copper-based substance found in proteins. Unlike red blood containing hemoglobin or iron. Interestingly, although horseshoe crabs cannot produce antibodies like most mammals to fight infections, these animals have a number of amoebocyte cells capable of binding bacteria, viruses, and fungi, thus preventing the activities of these microbes.
These amoebocyte cells are found in the blue blood of the horseshoe crab. The pharmaceutical, food, and healthcare industries utilize these amoebocyte cells to test the safety of their products. Because of its extraordinary benefits, horseshoe crab blood has a fantastic value in the market, with prices reaching Rp 213 million per liter, as reported by The Science Times.
Horseshoe Crab, a Protected Species Threatened with Extinction in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the horseshoe crab population faces serious threats as a critically endangered species. Since 1999, this animal has been listed as a protected species through Government Regulation (PP) Number 7 of 1999.
Many studies have been conducted to create synthetic substances with similar contents to horseshoe crab blood. This step is a response to pressure from environmental conservationists calling for the replacement of horseshoe crab blood usage in the medical world.
