bolster conservation efforts for the elusive animal.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nHorseshoe crabs have been around for 450 million years, according to The Natural History Museum in London.<\/p>\n
This makes them older than dinosaurs, earning them the moniker \u201cliving fossils\u201d.<\/p>\n
They are a keystone species of mudflats, mangroves and sandy shores, where they dwell and help keep sediment healthy. Their eggs, laid in the millions, also feed other species in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Globally, their most imminent threat stems from habitat change and human activity, say experts.<\/p>\n
In some parts of the world, the animals are sought after for medical research.<\/p>\n
Their blue-tinged blood contains a clotting enzyme crucial for bacterial testing and vaccine development, including for Covid-19. In 2020, nearly 700,000 horseshoe crabs were harvested for their blood, according to the National Geographic magazine.<\/p>\n
Despite their importance, there remains many gaps in the knowledge of horseshoe crabs native to South-east Asia, said research fellow Lee Bee Yan from the National University of Singapore\u2019s Tropical Marine Science Institute, who heads the project.<\/p>\n
Lee, a crab expert, hopes to compile the \u201cmuch-needed\u201d information on the distribution, abundance and habitat use of horseshoe crabs in Singapore.<\/p>\n
There are four living species of horseshoe crab globally. Singapore is home to two of them \u2013 the coastal horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas<\/i>) and the mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda<\/i>).<\/p>\n
The coastal horseshoe crab is more commonly associated with sandy shore habitats, while the mangrove horseshoe crab is typically found in mangroves and mudflats, said Lee.<\/p>\n
Both species are listed as \u201cvulnerable\u201d in the Singapore Red Data Book, which compiles the descriptions and conservation statuses of threatened plants and animals in the Republic.<\/p>\n
Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which details the extinction risk of fauna, flora and fungi globally, the two species are globally listed as \u201cdata-deficient\u201d.<\/p>\n
This was based on the last assessment conducted in 1996, and means there is a lack of information to make an informed assessment of the species\u2019 risk of extinction.<\/p>\n
Lee is hoping data collected on the horseshoe crab can help with future IUCN Red List assessment for the species, as well as conservation work.<\/p>\n
Research has shown that there are now fewer suitable habitats for horseshoe crabs because of coastal development and habitat changes, Lee said.<\/p>\n