Here is an interesting information nugget, from iflscience.com, that you may not have known about horeshoe crabs. It can make a person wonder if Montana is home to any type of wildlife that can also be hosts to human health benefits.
You don’t survive for 450 million years without learning a trick or two. In the case of horseshoe crabs, one of those is developing blood with remarkable antibacterial properties. Humans haven’t been around nearly as long, but we learn fast, including how to harness those properties in ways that save our lives, but aren’t so great for the crabs. The most obviously unusual aspect of crab blood is that it is bright blue, a consequence of using copper-based hemocyanin to transport oxygen where vertebrates use iron in hemoglobin. Instead of white blood cells to fight infection, many invertebrates have amebocytes, and Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have evolved these to such a peak of refinement that they are of enormous medical value. Horseshoe crab amebocytes coagulate around as little as one part in a trillion of bacterial contamination. Even better, the reaction takes 45 minutes, not two days as with mammalian equivalents. Coagulan, the chemical that makes this possible, is used for testing medical equipment and vaccines prior to use, without which many more people would die from infections. Unfortunately, coagulan synthesis is in its infancy so a quarter of a million crabs are harvested each year for their blood, as shown in the video below.
You don’t survive for 450 million years without learning a trick or two. In the case of horseshoe crabs, one of those is developing blood with remarkable antibacterial properties. Humans haven’t been around nearly as long, but we learn fast, including how to harness those properties in ways that save our lives, but aren’t so great for the crabs.
The most obviously unusual aspect of crab blood is that it is bright blue, a consequence of using copper-based hemocyanin to transport oxygen where vertebrates use iron in hemoglobin. Instead of white blood cells to fight infection, many invertebrates have amebocytes, and Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have evolved these to such a peak of refinement that they are of enormous medical value.
Horseshoe crab amebocytes coagulate around as little as one part in a trillion of bacterial contamination. Even better, the reaction takes 45 minutes, not two days as with mammalian equivalents. Coagulan, the chemical that makes this possible, is used for testing medical equipment and vaccines prior to use, without which many more people would die from infections. Unfortunately, coagulan synthesis is in its infancy so a quarter of a million crabs are harvested each year for their blood, as shown in the video below.
Unfortunately, overharvesting in North America has led to a decline in crab populations, with worrying implications if this continues. In order to sustain the species, the harvesters take 30% of the blood from each crab, after which they are returned to the ocean. While this portion of blood is meant to be an amount the crabs can survive, it is thought that 10-30% don’t. Moreover, among the females that do recover they often breed less after being bled. However, at $15,000/l plenty of people still think the crab blood is worth bottling.
Fish Populations Bump Up in Big Hole; Good Water Year and Hard Work Paying Off
By Moosetrack Megan
Corps Approves another Lake Level Variation
MANNERS MATTER!!! by Montana Grant
By angelamontana
FWP News: Celebrate Mother’s Day with free fishing
FWP News: Wildlife Management Areas open May 15
Brett French reports: Yellowstone fisheries chief highlights top spots
Fresno and Nelson Reservoirs Fishing Report by Brian Olson 5.9.24
When things get weird in your house…
Sneak Peek: MT Outdoor Podcast Talks Walleye with Heath Headley
6th Annual Youth Shooting Sports and Outdoor Expo, May 18
Three bears euthanized in Missoula
FWP News: Drawing results for moose, sheep, goat and bison now available
Another Monster Walleye out of Peck
DoorDash Delivery Gone Wild
LACY’S LUCK!!! by Montana Grant
Statewide MT Fishing Report Compilation 5.7.24
New Record Set: Angler Smashes 43-Year-Old Perch Catch in Lake Michigan
Be Careful on the Water
Low Snow Year in Montana Results in Below Normal Water Supply Forecasts for the Upcoming Season
FWP News: Partial spring fish population estimates completed for Big Hole River
FWP News: Hunting for all black bears to close in Black Bear Management Unit 510
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reports slight increase in park visits for 2023
A Very Unlucky Duck
TEXTBOOK TURKEYS!!! by Montana Grant
Riley's Meats - Butte Wild Game Processing