DUTE NEWS 'Meet the Chinese Horseshoe Crab' Live Stream Hit 50 Million Views

On October 18th, 2023, DUTE NEWS by Shenzhen News Group kicked off the 5th episode of the SEA You In Guangdong livestreaming series in Suixi, Zhanjiang in Guangdong province.

We worked with social marine protection organization Blue Fins to find the Chinese horseshoe crab, a prehistoric animal categorized as a Class II protected species in China.

During the live session, Dr. Xie Xiaoyong from South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (SCSFRI, CAFS) guided us to find this remarkable and valuable marine creature.

Horseshoe crabs are often referred to as living fossils. Unlike humans, their blood is bright blue in color. According to Dr. Xie, the Chinese horseshoe crab takes about 10 years to reach maturity. It grows by molting and can increase in size by 25-30% with each molt.

The 2-hour live session attracted over 50 million views. Horseshoe crabs have been around for more than 480 million years but are now endangered. It's time to save horseshoe crabs and their habitats so that horseshoe crabs, and shorebirds, can enjoy their day at the beach as much as people do.