| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2000. Vol 51 (3) : 195-198 |
| Effects
of Blood Extraction on the Mortality of the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus
polyphemus. Elizabeth A. Walls and Jim Berkson, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Backsburg, Virginia 24061 ABSTRACT
Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)
are bled by biomedical companies for the extraction of Limulus
Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL), a clotting agent used in the detection of
endotoxins. In 1998, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission mandated that all biomedical companies collecting horseshoe
crabs for the production of LAL study the horseshoe crab mortality
rates resulting from the company's blood extraction process.
BioWhittaker, a Cambrex Company is one of the largest producers of LAL
in the world. During the summer of 1999, bled and unbled
horseshoe crabs were transported from BioWhittaker's bleeding facility
in Chincoteague, Virginia to the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research
and Extension Center's aquaculture facility in Hampton, Virginia.
At the aquaculture facility, they were kept in a tank and their
survival was monitored for a period of two weeks. Mortality for
bled crabs was 15%, while mortality for unbled crabs was 0%.
Because of the importance of horseshoe crabs to a wide variety of
interests, proper management requires monitoring and consideration of
mortality effects on the population. |