Horseshoe crabs
Scientific name: Limulidae
Horseshoe crabs
Scientific name: Limulidae
Description
Belonging to the family Limulidae, horseshoe crabs are ancient mariners of our oceans, with a lineage dating back over 450 million years. Contrary to their name, horseshoe crabs are not true crabs, but are more closely related to arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions. These creatures play a critical role in medical research, thanks to their blue blood which contains a substance crucial for detecting bacterial endotoxins in vaccines. This highlights not only their ecological but also biomedical significance.