Which Animal Has Blue Blood? List of 10 Animals With Blue Blood

Have you ever seen animals with blue blood? Although this sounds unusual, blue blood animals do exist. While most vertebrates (including humans) have red blood cells due to hemoglobin, some have blue blood cells due to the copper-based protein blood cyanate.

This unique adaptability allows these organisms to thrive in specific environments, such as deep seas or low oxygen habitats. Here is a list of ten outstanding animals with blue blood and circulatory insights.

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Why blue blood?

Hyperamine uses copper ions to bind oxygen, which makes the blood blue when oxygenated. Unlike hemoglobin, which uses iron, hemoglobin is more effective in cold or hypoxic conditions, making it very suitable for these animals.

10 blue-blooded animals

  1. Horseshoe crab: Known for the importance of biomedical science, its blue blood contains blood cyanobacterase, used to detect bacterial endotoxins.
  2. Octopus: Equipped with three hearts and nine brains, their blue blood helps them survive deep in the cold sea.
  3. Squid: Similar to octopus, squid has a complex circulation system with three hearts and blood rich in hemocyanin.
  4. Spiders: Their pale blue hemolymph flows freely through the open circulation system.
  5. Lobsters: Their blood turns blue when oxygenated and flows through the single-ventricular heart.
  6. Clams: These bivalves have an open circulation system and use hemoanine for oxygen delivery.
  7. Scallops: Like clams, scallops have an open circulation system and a turquoise blood.
  8. Cuttlefish: closely related to squid and octopus, they rely on hemocyanin for oxygen transport in the three heart system.
  9. Amazon Milk Frogs: Their blue blood is colored by bislipoprotein rather than hemocyanin, making them unique among frogs.
  10. Brachiopods: These marine animals use hegerythrin instead of hemocystin, resulting in light yellow blood that appears blue under certain conditions.

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animal

Circulation system

Blood protein

Unique features

horseshoe crab

Open

Hemoglobin

Biomedical applications

octopus

closure

Hemoglobin

Three hearts and nine brains

squid

closure

Hemoglobin

Complex three-heart system

spider

Open

Hemoglobin

Light blue hemolymph

lobster

Open

Hemoglobin

Single ventricular center

Clam

Open

Hemoglobin

A sedentary lifestyle

scallop

Open

Hemoglobin

Free swimming ability

squid

closure

Hemoglobin

Anatomy of late cephalopods

Amazon Milk Frog

closure

biliverdin

Blue color of bile pigment

Brachiopod

Open

hemerythrin

Shell-like structure