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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Blood Collection from the American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus
Published on: October 13, 2008
Laboratory culture and maintenance of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus)
1Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Phase II, Duck Pond Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. stsmith7@vt.edu
Abstract:
Often referred to as a living fossil, the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is one of the most-studied invertebrate animals in the world. It has served as a model in Nobel Prize-winning eye research, and researchers use a component of its blood to detect bacterial contamination in medical devices and drugs. The authors review the conditions necessary for housing these animals in the laboratory.
