Presence of microorganisms in hemolymph of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus.

Hemolymph samples obtained from Limulus polyphemus at the time of collection and after a 1-week holding period exhibited a significant increase in bacterial levels. No differences were observed in the ability of amoebocyte lysate, prepared from these same samples, to gel in the presence of lipopolysaccharide.