Japanese Horseshoe Crabカブトガニ

Species Data

Classification

Xiphosura / Limulidae Source

Distribution

Historically widespread along the Seto Inland Sea and northern Kyushu coasts of Japan, it is now largely restricted to a few tidal flats such as Imari Bay (Saga), Nakatsu (Oita), and Kasaoka (Okayama); it also occurs along coastal China, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Source

Did You Know?

• Its copper-based hemocyanin gives the blood a blue color, and because it clots in response to bacterial endotoxins and fungal beta-D-glucans, the blood is used in safety testing for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Source
• Because it retains a body plan little changed from its Paleozoic-era relatives, it is often called a "living fossil." Source
• In Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, the sight of males and females moving together has made it a symbol of marital harmony, and several of its breeding grounds, including those in Imari, Kasaoka, and Saijo, are designated national natural monuments. Source

FAQ

Why is the Japanese horseshoe crab called a living fossil?

Its body plan has remained largely unchanged since relatives that lived in the Paleozoic era hundreds of millions of years ago. Source

Why is the horseshoe crab's blood valuable?

Its blue, copper-based blood clots when exposed to bacterial endotoxins and fungal compounds, so it is extracted and used to test the safety of drugs and medical equipment. Source

Where can the Japanese horseshoe crab still be found in Japan?

It survives mainly in a few protected tidal flats such as Imari Bay in Saga, Nakatsu in Oita, and Kasaoka in Okayama, after being lost from much of its former range around the Seto Inland Sea and northern Kyushu. Source