Pronounced horseshoe crab (hòu)
The horseshoe crab is a marine arthropod that can be found in coastal areas around the world. Here's what this assistant can tell you about horseshoe crabs.
1.Horseshoe Crab Appearance and Characteristics:Horseshoe crab's body presents the appearance of a hard shell, with a long tail and multiple legs. They usually live on sandy beaches, rocks or mud, etc. They feed on small invertebrates, benthic organisms, and are also natural enemies of many aquatic organisms.
2. The nervous system of the horseshoe crab: Compared to its limbs and hard shell structure, the horseshoe crab's nervous system is relatively simple and lacks high-level organs such as the brain and heart. However, horseshoe crabs still display great athletic ability and vitality, which is closely related to their highly evolved visual and sensory systems.
3. The connection between horseshoe crabs and human beings: Horseshoe crabs are an extremely protected biological resource, and because of their important medicinal and reproductive values, natural resource conservation organizations and relevant government units have been focusing on combating and protecting specimens of horseshoe crabs. At the same time, the impact of horseshoe crabs on the marine environment is also getting more and more attention.
4. Physiological functions and medicinal value of horseshoe crabs: In recent years, scientists have found that there exists a special blood protein substance in horseshoe crabs' bodies, called (LAL), which is the most commonly used method of detecting endotoxins in sterile preparations.
5. Cultural value of horseshoe crab: As a rare biological resource, horseshoe crab's cultural value has also attracted much attention. In some areas, horseshoe crabs are regarded as sacred creatures, with auspicious symbols such as praying for health and peace. In addition, horseshoe crabs play an important role in local folklore and cultural creative design.
The ancestors of the horseshoe crab appeared in the Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era, when dinosaurs had not yet risen to prominence and primitive fish had just been introduced, making it one of the oldest animals on earth. People have found fossils of horseshoe crabs from 500 million years ago, and it is a close relative of the long-extinct trilobite. Some people also call it the horseshoe crab, but in fact it is not related to crabs, but with scorpions and spiders have relatives.
Overall, the horseshoe crab is a complex and mysterious marine organism, which has great value and significance in the fields of science, culture and ecological protection.