4 tagged horeshoe crabs found on Balasore beaches | Bhubaneswar News
Kendrapada: Four tagged horseshoe crabs have been discovered along various beaches in Balasore district providing the first concrete evidence of their movement patterns in Indian waters.
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in collaboration with the forest department and the Center for Research and Conservation of Indian Horseshoe Crabs (CRCIHC), initiated the tagging project on Aug 18, 2024, at Khandia muhan estuary near Chandipur beach.
“This is India’s first attempt to track horseshoe crab migration using semi-metallic tags,” said Dr. Basudev Tripathy, scientist-E & officer-in-charge at ZSI’s western regional centre, Pune. “We tagged 12 specimens with serial numbers and contact information to monitor their movements,” he said.
Two of the tagged creatures were found around 20 km from the tagging site on Sept 27, 2024. Another was spotted at Talapada beach, 5 km away, while a fourth was found dead in fishing nets on Inchudi beach, about 10 km from the original location.
India is home to two species of horseshoe crabs — Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda — both found along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts. These living fossils, which have survived for over 450 million years, were listed as protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act in 2009 and upgraded to Schedule II in 2022.
Dr. Anil Chatterji, former scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, highlighted the medical significance of horseshoe crabs, noting that their blue blood is crucial for detecting toxins in vaccines and medical equipment. “Their blood played a vital role during the Covid-19 pandemic in ensuring vaccine safety,” he said.
The ZSI plans to propose advanced research using satellite telemetry to gather more comprehensive data about these ancient creatures. Dr. Tripathy emphasized that while Odisha remains a primary habitat for horseshoe crabs, particularly in Balasore and Kendrapara districts, their numbers have been declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and overharvesting.
The tagging initiative represents a significant step towards understanding and conserving these ecologically important species, whose survival is increasingly threatened despite their critical role in both ecosystem health and medical research.
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in collaboration with the forest department and the Center for Research and Conservation of Indian Horseshoe Crabs (CRCIHC), initiated the tagging project on Aug 18, 2024, at Khandia muhan estuary near Chandipur beach.
“This is India’s first attempt to track horseshoe crab migration using semi-metallic tags,” said Dr. Basudev Tripathy, scientist-E & officer-in-charge at ZSI’s western regional centre, Pune. “We tagged 12 specimens with serial numbers and contact information to monitor their movements,” he said.
Two of the tagged creatures were found around 20 km from the tagging site on Sept 27, 2024. Another was spotted at Talapada beach, 5 km away, while a fourth was found dead in fishing nets on Inchudi beach, about 10 km from the original location.
India is home to two species of horseshoe crabs — Tachypleus gigas and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda — both found along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts. These living fossils, which have survived for over 450 million years, were listed as protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act in 2009 and upgraded to Schedule II in 2022.
Dr. Anil Chatterji, former scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, highlighted the medical significance of horseshoe crabs, noting that their blue blood is crucial for detecting toxins in vaccines and medical equipment. “Their blood played a vital role during the Covid-19 pandemic in ensuring vaccine safety,” he said.
The ZSI plans to propose advanced research using satellite telemetry to gather more comprehensive data about these ancient creatures. Dr. Tripathy emphasized that while Odisha remains a primary habitat for horseshoe crabs, particularly in Balasore and Kendrapara districts, their numbers have been declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and overharvesting.
The tagging initiative represents a significant step towards understanding and conserving these ecologically important species, whose survival is increasingly threatened despite their critical role in both ecosystem health and medical research.
