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#horseshoecrab — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #horseshoecrab, aggregated by home.social.

  1. #HorseshoeCrab follow-up: So little progress since I last checked maybe ten years ago... 🙁

    Background: #HorseshoeCrabs (HSCs) are ancient (450 million years or more). They have a very early version of #ImmuneSystem that depends on something called "Limulus amebocyte lysate" or LAL to detect bacterial toxins and "clump" together to neutralize those bacteria/toxins.

    This is scientifically very interesting in terms of evolution, etc....

    daily.jstor.org/the-horseshoe-

    Some bright scientist figured out that LAL could be used to detect contamination of vaccines and related medical stuff. Since that discovery HSCs have been commercially "milked" (actually more like a blood donation) to produce LAL for the pharmaceutical industry. [Before that they killed thousands of rabbits for this purpose. LAL was an improvement, and necessary, but read on for why it is no longer acceptable!]

    Abstract: "Horseshoe crabs have been integral to the safe production of #vaccines and injectable medications for the past 40 years. The bleeding of live horseshoe crabs, a process that leaves thousands dead annually, is an 👉 ecologically unsustainable practice👈 for all four species of horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that rely on their eggs as a primary food source during spring migration. Populations of both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in decline. This study confirms the efficacy of recombinant Factor C (rFC), a synthetic alternative that eliminates the need for animal products in #endotoxin detection. Furthermore, our findings confirm that the biomedical industry can achieve a 90% reduction in the use of reagents derived from horseshoe crabs by using the synthetic alternative for the testing of water and other common materials used in the manufacturing process. This represents an extraordinary opportunity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries to significantly contribute to the conservation of horseshoe crabs and the birds that depend on them."

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2

    Bottom Line: There is an approved alternative to LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC) out there, but Pharma mostly still relies on milking HSCs. 👎

    Now in 2026: "A lawsuit is filed to protect ancient horseshoe crabs"...

    This is basically an #OverFishing story with a rather odd and spiny subject. Even if they aren't warm and fuzzy we need to stand up for these magnificent creatures, and the ecological webs that depend on them!

    wusf.org/environment/2026-01-0

  2. #HorseshoeCrab follow-up: So little progress since I last checked maybe ten years ago... 🙁

    Background: #HorseshoeCrabs (HSCs) are ancient (450 million years or more). They have a very early version of #ImmuneSystem that depends on something called "Limulus amebocyte lysate" or LAL to detect bacterial toxins and "clump" together to neutralize those bacteria/toxins.

    This is scientifically very interesting in terms of evolution, etc....

    daily.jstor.org/the-horseshoe-

    Some bright scientist figured out that LAL could be used to detect contamination of vaccines and related medical stuff. Since that discovery HSCs have been commercially "milked" (actually more like a blood donation) to produce LAL for the pharmaceutical industry. [Before that they killed thousands of rabbits for this purpose. LAL was an improvement, and necessary, but read on for why it is no longer acceptable!]

    Abstract: "Horseshoe crabs have been integral to the safe production of #vaccines and injectable medications for the past 40 years. The bleeding of live horseshoe crabs, a process that leaves thousands dead annually, is an 👉 ecologically unsustainable practice👈 for all four species of horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that rely on their eggs as a primary food source during spring migration. Populations of both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in decline. This study confirms the efficacy of recombinant Factor C (rFC), a synthetic alternative that eliminates the need for animal products in #endotoxin detection. Furthermore, our findings confirm that the biomedical industry can achieve a 90% reduction in the use of reagents derived from horseshoe crabs by using the synthetic alternative for the testing of water and other common materials used in the manufacturing process. This represents an extraordinary opportunity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries to significantly contribute to the conservation of horseshoe crabs and the birds that depend on them."

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2

    Bottom Line: There is an approved alternative to LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC) out there, but Pharma mostly still relies on milking HSCs. 👎

    Now in 2026: "A lawsuit is filed to protect ancient horseshoe crabs"...

    This is basically an #OverFishing story with a rather odd and spiny subject. Even if they aren't warm and fuzzy we need to stand up for these magnificent creatures, and the ecological webs that depend on them!

    wusf.org/environment/2026-01-0

  3. #HorseshoeCrab follow-up: So little progress since I last checked maybe ten years ago... 🙁

    Background: #HorseshoeCrabs (HSCs) are ancient (450 million years or more). They have a very early version of #ImmuneSystem that depends on something called "Limulus amebocyte lysate" or LAL to detect bacterial toxins and "clump" together to neutralize those bacteria/toxins.

    This is scientifically very interesting in terms of evolution, etc....

    daily.jstor.org/the-horseshoe-

    Some bright scientist figured out that LAL could be used to detect contamination of vaccines and related medical stuff. Since that discovery HSCs have been commercially "milked" (actually more like a blood donation) to produce LAL for the pharmaceutical industry. [Before that they killed thousands of rabbits for this purpose. LAL was an improvement, and necessary, but read on for why it is no longer acceptable!]

    Abstract: "Horseshoe crabs have been integral to the safe production of #vaccines and injectable medications for the past 40 years. The bleeding of live horseshoe crabs, a process that leaves thousands dead annually, is an 👉 ecologically unsustainable practice👈 for all four species of horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that rely on their eggs as a primary food source during spring migration. Populations of both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in decline. This study confirms the efficacy of recombinant Factor C (rFC), a synthetic alternative that eliminates the need for animal products in #endotoxin detection. Furthermore, our findings confirm that the biomedical industry can achieve a 90% reduction in the use of reagents derived from horseshoe crabs by using the synthetic alternative for the testing of water and other common materials used in the manufacturing process. This represents an extraordinary opportunity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries to significantly contribute to the conservation of horseshoe crabs and the birds that depend on them."

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2

    Bottom Line: There is an approved alternative to LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC) out there, but Pharma mostly still relies on milking HSCs. 👎

    Now in 2026: "A lawsuit is filed to protect ancient horseshoe crabs"...

    This is basically an #OverFishing story with a rather odd and spiny subject. Even if they aren't warm and fuzzy we need to stand up for these magnificent creatures, and the ecological webs that depend on them!

    wusf.org/environment/2026-01-0

  4. #HorseshoeCrab follow-up: So little progress since I last checked maybe ten years ago... 🙁

    Background: #HorseshoeCrabs (HSCs) are ancient (450 million years or more). They have a very early version of #ImmuneSystem that depends on something called "Limulus amebocyte lysate" or LAL to detect bacterial toxins and "clump" together to neutralize those bacteria/toxins.

    This is scientifically very interesting in terms of evolution, etc....

    daily.jstor.org/the-horseshoe-

    Some bright scientist figured out that LAL could be used to detect contamination of vaccines and related medical stuff. Since that discovery HSCs have been commercially "milked" (actually more like a blood donation) to produce LAL for the pharmaceutical industry. [Before that they killed thousands of rabbits for this purpose. LAL was an improvement, and necessary, but read on for why it is no longer acceptable!]

    Abstract: "Horseshoe crabs have been integral to the safe production of #vaccines and injectable medications for the past 40 years. The bleeding of live horseshoe crabs, a process that leaves thousands dead annually, is an 👉 ecologically unsustainable practice👈 for all four species of horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that rely on their eggs as a primary food source during spring migration. Populations of both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in decline. This study confirms the efficacy of recombinant Factor C (rFC), a synthetic alternative that eliminates the need for animal products in #endotoxin detection. Furthermore, our findings confirm that the biomedical industry can achieve a 90% reduction in the use of reagents derived from horseshoe crabs by using the synthetic alternative for the testing of water and other common materials used in the manufacturing process. This represents an extraordinary opportunity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries to significantly contribute to the conservation of horseshoe crabs and the birds that depend on them."

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2

    Bottom Line: There is an approved alternative to LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC) out there, but Pharma mostly still relies on milking HSCs. 👎

    Now in 2026: "A lawsuit is filed to protect ancient horseshoe crabs"...

    This is basically an #OverFishing story with a rather odd and spiny subject. Even if they aren't warm and fuzzy we need to stand up for these magnificent creatures, and the ecological webs that depend on them!

    wusf.org/environment/2026-01-0

  5. #HorseshoeCrab follow-up: So little progress since I last checked maybe ten years ago... 🙁

    Background: #HorseshoeCrabs (HSCs) are ancient (450 million years or more). They have a very early version of #ImmuneSystem that depends on something called "Limulus amebocyte lysate" or LAL to detect bacterial toxins and "clump" together to neutralize those bacteria/toxins.

    This is scientifically very interesting in terms of evolution, etc....

    daily.jstor.org/the-horseshoe-

    Some bright scientist figured out that LAL could be used to detect contamination of vaccines and related medical stuff. Since that discovery HSCs have been commercially "milked" (actually more like a blood donation) to produce LAL for the pharmaceutical industry. [Before that they killed thousands of rabbits for this purpose. LAL was an improvement, and necessary, but read on for why it is no longer acceptable!]

    Abstract: "Horseshoe crabs have been integral to the safe production of #vaccines and injectable medications for the past 40 years. The bleeding of live horseshoe crabs, a process that leaves thousands dead annually, is an 👉 ecologically unsustainable practice👈 for all four species of horseshoe crab and the shorebirds that rely on their eggs as a primary food source during spring migration. Populations of both horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are in decline. This study confirms the efficacy of recombinant Factor C (rFC), a synthetic alternative that eliminates the need for animal products in #endotoxin detection. Furthermore, our findings confirm that the biomedical industry can achieve a 90% reduction in the use of reagents derived from horseshoe crabs by using the synthetic alternative for the testing of water and other common materials used in the manufacturing process. This represents an extraordinary opportunity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries to significantly contribute to the conservation of horseshoe crabs and the birds that depend on them."

    doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2

    Bottom Line: There is an approved alternative to LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC) out there, but Pharma mostly still relies on milking HSCs. 👎

    Now in 2026: "A lawsuit is filed to protect ancient horseshoe crabs"...

    This is basically an #OverFishing story with a rather odd and spiny subject. Even if they aren't warm and fuzzy we need to stand up for these magnificent creatures, and the ecological webs that depend on them!

    wusf.org/environment/2026-01-0

  6. #NewYork to Phase In Protections for #HorseshoeCrabs
    Gov. #KathyHochul signed #legislation that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.
    Although supporters of the #HorseshoeCrab Protection Act had urged an immediate ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul obtained the agreement of legislative leaders to reduce the catch by increments, leading to a total prohibition in 2029.
    nytimes.com/2026/01/01/science
    archive.ph/CIPi2

  7. #NewYork to Phase In Protections for #HorseshoeCrabs
    Gov. #KathyHochul signed #legislation that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.
    Although supporters of the #HorseshoeCrab Protection Act had urged an immediate ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul obtained the agreement of legislative leaders to reduce the catch by increments, leading to a total prohibition in 2029.
    nytimes.com/2026/01/01/science
    archive.ph/CIPi2

  8. to Phase In Protections for
    Gov. signed that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.
    Although supporters of the Protection Act had urged an immediate ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul obtained the agreement of legislative leaders to reduce the catch by increments, leading to a total prohibition in 2029.
    nytimes.com/2026/01/01/science
    archive.ph/CIPi2

  9. #NewYork to Phase In Protections for #HorseshoeCrabs
    Gov. #KathyHochul signed #legislation that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.
    Although supporters of the #HorseshoeCrab Protection Act had urged an immediate ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul obtained the agreement of legislative leaders to reduce the catch by increments, leading to a total prohibition in 2029.
    nytimes.com/2026/01/01/science
    archive.ph/CIPi2

  10. #NewYork to Phase In Protections for #HorseshoeCrabs
    Gov. #KathyHochul signed #legislation that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.
    Although supporters of the #HorseshoeCrab Protection Act had urged an immediate ban, Gov. Kathy Hochul obtained the agreement of legislative leaders to reduce the catch by increments, leading to a total prohibition in 2029.
    nytimes.com/2026/01/01/science
    archive.ph/CIPi2

  11. #Everglades Trip -- Consider the #HorseshoeCrab... 🙂

    #HorseshoeCrabs (Limulus polyphemus) evolved some 250 million years ago and they have no close living relatives. They are true #LivingFossils and generally fascinating.

    First, they are not crabs—but remotely related to spiders.

    They have nine eyes, two underneath near the legs.

    They have twelve legs, including specializations for pushing, feeding, and mating (males).

    They breathe and excrete using book gills just behind their legs.

    And here's the best part: 👉 They chew with their knees!👈

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsesho

    richard.mdpaths.com/travel/eve

  12. #Everglades Trip -- Consider the #HorseshoeCrab... 🙂

    #HorseshoeCrabs (Limulus polyphemus) evolved some 250 million years ago and they have no close living relatives. They are true #LivingFossils and generally fascinating.

    First, they are not crabs—but remotely related to spiders.

    They have nine eyes, two underneath near the legs.

    They have twelve legs, including specializations for pushing, feeding, and mating (males).

    They breathe and excrete using book gills just behind their legs.

    And here's the best part: 👉 They chew with their knees!👈

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsesho

    richard.mdpaths.com/travel/eve

  13. #Everglades Trip -- Consider the #HorseshoeCrab... 🙂

    #HorseshoeCrabs (Limulus polyphemus) evolved some 250 million years ago and they have no close living relatives. They are true #LivingFossils and generally fascinating.

    First, they are not crabs—but remotely related to spiders.

    They have nine eyes, two underneath near the legs.

    They have twelve legs, including specializations for pushing, feeding, and mating (males).

    They breathe and excrete using book gills just behind their legs.

    And here's the best part: 👉 They chew with their knees!👈

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsesho

    richard.mdpaths.com/travel/eve

  14. #Everglades Trip -- Consider the #HorseshoeCrab... 🙂

    #HorseshoeCrabs (Limulus polyphemus) evolved some 250 million years ago and they have no close living relatives. They are true #LivingFossils and generally fascinating.

    First, they are not crabs—but remotely related to spiders.

    They have nine eyes, two underneath near the legs.

    They have twelve legs, including specializations for pushing, feeding, and mating (males).

    They breathe and excrete using book gills just behind their legs.

    And here's the best part: 👉 They chew with their knees!👈

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsesho

    richard.mdpaths.com/travel/eve

  15. #Everglades Trip -- Consider the #HorseshoeCrab... 🙂

    #HorseshoeCrabs (Limulus polyphemus) evolved some 250 million years ago and they have no close living relatives. They are true #LivingFossils and generally fascinating.

    First, they are not crabs—but remotely related to spiders.

    They have nine eyes, two underneath near the legs.

    They have twelve legs, including specializations for pushing, feeding, and mating (males).

    They breathe and excrete using book gills just behind their legs.

    And here's the best part: 👉 They chew with their knees!👈

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsesho

    richard.mdpaths.com/travel/eve

  16. @solidsanek
    WoW. First time hearing about such a creature. 🔥 And also learnt that humans are the potential cause of their declining population 😔. Coz we harvest their blood. I wish scientists synthesize alternative formulas soon.

    Source I watched for the info:
    Ted-Ed video
    youtube.com/watch?v=VgEbcQxFUu8
    #horseshoecrab #wonders

  17. #Hochul Urged to Ban #HorseshoeCrab #Fishing
    Supporters of the legislation argue it would protect a declining horseshoe crab population, while opponents warn it will harm the #commercialfishing industry.
    Reducing pressures on the crabs would help their ecological role, which includes providing food for migrating shore birds such as the red knot, a dwindling species that the federal government classified as threatened more than a decade ago.
    nytimes.com/2025/11/15/science
    archive.ph/D9AnI

  18. Day 7 #artAdventCalendar my #linocut horseshoe crab (Tachypeus gigas) in grey, blue-bronze and dark brown on 8” x 8” cream-coloured Japanese paper with bark inclusions. They get their name from their horseshoe like shape but they are not crabs; they are chelicerates, more closely related to arachnids and they are “living fossils” which have changed very little since they first appeared in the Triassic. The textured sandy 🧵

    #printmaking #sciart #invertebrates #horseshoeCrab #washi #mastoArt

  19. #HorseshoeCrab Blood Has Long Helped Us Make Safe #Medicines. Now, Alternatives That Spare the Ancient Creatures Might Be Breaking Through
    An enzyme in the blue blood has been key to testing #vaccines since the 1980s, raising concerns for the crabs’ population. But regulatory approval and new data are signaling the tide may be turning smithsonianmag.com/science-nat

  20. "I had a sense of obligation to these creatures that likely gave their lives for testing the device implanted in my heart."

    Kristin Idaszak for The American Scholar: theamericanscholar.org/blood-b

    #Longreads #Essay #ClimateCrisis #ChronicIllness #Heart #HorseshoeCrab #Animals #Grief #Medicine #Playwriting

  21. "Most people come to horseshoe crabs through their interest in birds, not the other way around. The crabs’ tiny blue eggs are key to the migration patterns of birds like red knots who feast on the translucent orbs." —Grace Byron for The Paris Review

    theparisreview.org/blog/2025/0

    #HorseshoeCrab

  22. These guys are my favorites. And a few years ago, when the GOP admin (Christie) won a law suit over the residents to shove sand on the beach, they chose to do it after the Mamas had come up to lay eggs. They decimated a whole generation. Saved this little guy from the gulls today.
    #HorseshoeCrab #Beach #sea #ProtectWildlife #Dogs Everyday is #EarthDay
    You're welcome!

  23. Horseshoe Crab 🦀 A Living Fossil! | 1 Minute Animals.

    Discover the horseshoe crab, an ancient creature that has roamed the Earth for millions of years. You won't believe the bizarre appearance of this unique animal, with its hard shell and spiky legs. Learn about its fascinating history and why it's crucial for medical research.

    #HorseshoeCrab #LivingFossil #MarineLife #OceanLife #Crab

  24. For the @printersolstice #printerSolstice2425 prompt copper, I made a #linocut horseshoe crab (Tachypeus gigas) in grey, blue-bronze and dark brown on 8" x 8" cream-coloured Japanese paper with bark inclusions. They get their name from their horseshoe like shape but they are not crabs; they are chelicerates, more closely related to arachnids and they are "living fossils" which have changed very little since 🧵

    #printmaking #sciart #invertebrates #horseshoeCrab #washi #oceanLife #MastoArt

  25. there's a mysterious
    marine chelicerate
    that's got nine eyes
    but don't lose any sleep
    those nine eyes
    can't form images
    of you or me or anything
    in the deep blue sea

    there's a mysterious
    marine chelicerate
    that's got spikes
    on five pairs of thighs
    but don't lose any sleep
    all those spikes
    just break up food
    so it can eat

    it's not closely related to crabs
    it's not closely related to horses
    and not even related to shoes

    #poetry
    #xiphosuran
    #horseShoeCrab
    #arthropods

  26. OMG, I love everything about this door knocker! I love the riff on its New England/RI setting, I love the brass texture next to the wooden door, I love the warm brown next to the vibrant yellow.

    Anyone see the Darth Vader-like face?

    #Architecture #darthvader #horseshoecrab #door #doors #doorphotography #dooroftheweek #doorway #ForbiddenDoor #doorbell #darth #starwarsart #starwars #knockers #knockknock #whosthere #rhodeisland #PROVIDENCE #ProvidenceRI #capecod

  27. Urge NY Gov. Hochul to sign the #horseshoecrab protection bill! The legislature passed A10140/S3185A, banning the capture or killing of horseshoe crabs for commercial fisheries and biomedical use. Call her at (518) 474-8390 or email governor.ny.gov/content/govern.

  28. @pferal 😢💔

    I’ve seen a mating pair of horseshoe crabs once on some beach of Cape Cod during the height of pandemic. They’re amazing animals! I hope they survive. 🫶✨💕

    #horseshoeCrab #wildlife

  29. Finally, this little one was not having a good day. I did the flip over, but it didn't seem too excited about that either. Alas. I don't know how it turned out.

    #HorseshoeCrab #IpswichMA

  30. Hey are you visiting the Conch Republic (aka the Florida Keys and Key West)?

    The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking the public’s help to gather valuable information about horseshoe crabs by reporting sightings on an online survey.

    Report sightings by visiting MyFWC.com/research, click on “Crustaceans,” then “Horseshoe Crabs” and selecting “Report Your Nesting Horseshoe Crab Sighting” to complete the survey.

    #ConchRepublic
    #Horseshoecrab
    #Florida
    #FloridaKeys

  31. Adaptations across scales: Scientists learn how the #HorseshoeCrab sees through its cuticle lenses
    phys.org/news/2022-11-scales-s

    Gradients of Orientation, Composition, & Hydration of Proteins for Efficient Light Collection by the Cornea of the Horseshoe Crab onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10

    Its #CompoundEyes are one the largest in nature. In contrast to many #insects and #spiders that build their eyes from glassy proteins, the horseshoe crab uses cuticle, the same material that builds its skin and legs.