King leopard crab. Kamchatka crabs: description and photo Social structure and reproduction

For those who saw Kamchatka crabs for the first time in their lives, these animals make a great impression.

In terms of its size, the Kamchatka crab is an outstanding representative not only of decapods, but also of all crustaceans. The characteristic structural features of crustaceans, reproduced in the Kamchatka crab on a large scale, are strikingly striking even at the most superficial glance at this animal.

The width of the shell of the average male Kamchatka crab is about 16 centimeters, the span of its legs is almost 1 meter, and its weight exceeds 2 kilograms. The largest specimens reach 25 centimeters in carapace width, one and a half meters in leg span and 7 kilograms in weight.

The body of the Kamchatka crab consists of a cephalothorax, covered with a common shell, and a belly, folded under the cephalothorax. Therefore, if you look at a crab from above, only its shell and legs are visible. A powerful shell with large sharp spikes reliably protects the animal and, in addition, serves as a support for the muscles. The shell, like that of the crayfish, fuses with the body only on the back, and on the sides it lags behind the walls of the body and hangs down like the sides of a jacket, covering the gills. The gills in the resulting cavities are protected from damage and at the same time are easily washed with water. In front of the cephalothorax are attached two pairs of antennae, eyes on stalks, jaws and legs. The front edge of the shell is armed with a sharp outgrowth that protects the eyes.

The abdomen of the crab, always tucked under the cephalothorax, in females bears special appendages for bearing eggs. The abdomen contains the intestines and internal genital organs. The first pair of crab legs is armed with powerful claws, the next three pairs are used for movement, and the last pair of reduced legs is always under the shell and is used for cleaning the gills. The muscles of the walking legs are very well developed.

What do Kamchatka crabs eat?

Kamchatka crabs are predators. They eat marine bottom polychaetes, mollusks, amphipods, echinoderms, small sea acorns and other bottom animals. The crabs tear their prey with their claws and, using their legs and jaws, crush, grind and send it into their mouths. The right - large - claw is used to crush shells of mollusks and skeletons of sea urchins. With its left claw, the crab can tear only soft prey. Very interesting experiments were carried out to find out what sense crabs are guided by in their search for prey. Food was lowered into a large aquarium where Kamchatka crabs were kept. The animal immediately reacted to the smell with characteristic movements of the antennae and began searching for prey. The crab cannot determine the direction to the prey by smell, so it begins to move slowly, feeling the bottom with the ends of its claws. The crab lowers its claws vertically downwards and, touching the ground with the ends of its claws, quickly opens and closes them, as if snapping scissors, to see if anything gets caught. These probing movements are very energetic and "nervous".

The crab searches blindly, describing the most incredible loops along the bottom of the pool. As it approaches the feeder, when the smell of food intensifies, the crab becomes very excited and probes the bottom with its claws even more often. However, even in close proximity to the food (for example, at a distance of 1 centimeter from the end of the claws to the food), the crab repeatedly misses and moves away from it again. This suggests that the crab's sense of smell and vision are poor helpers, and it finds its prey only through touch.

Finally, the crab probes for food with the tip of its claw and quickly grabs it with one claw or both at once. In search of prey, the animals lost an unusually large amount of time, traveling an unnecessary long distance.

Kamchatka crabs spend their entire long lives wandering, repeating the same route every year. The Kamchatka crab is an exclusively running animal and is completely unsuited to either swimming or burrowing into the ground. The crab cannot burrow, because then its open gills can become clogged with silt. Powerfully developed leg muscles allow you to cover long distances. The crab runs both forward and sideways, alternately throwing out and bending its walking legs. The claws of the feet act like pegs stuck into the ground. The body is supported by weight when walking. The speed of movement of Kamchatka crabs in a straight line reaches 2 kilometers per hour. However, the crab usually moves in zigzags, and the distance it travels per day does not exceed 10-13 kilometers. Individual crabs wander in different directions, and the speed of movement of the entire school is only 2-4 kilometers per day. Crab shoals move throughout the year within their migratory area. The size of such areas for one school is almost 200 kilometers. Some crabs stray from their schools and move into schools in neighboring areas. The reason for such transitions is strong competition for food. Animals often move to areas where fishing is more active. There, the number of crabs drops significantly due to fishing, and competition for food decreases.

Where do Kamchatka crabs winter?

The wintering grounds of crabs are located quite far from the coast at depths of 110 to 200 meters. In fact, the crab does not hibernate, but continues to lead the same active lifestyle in winter as in summer. The move to depth is explained by lower water temperatures in shallow waters and the formation of ice. In the spring, when the bays of the sea are cleared of ice, the crabs move to shallower areas. During this period, males and females of the king crab stay in separate herds and move to the shore in parallel paths. Female crabs carry eggs on their abdominal legs, which have been developing since last year, and halfway through the adult crabs' journey to the shore, a mass hatching of larvae occurs. The fully developed crab embryos in the eggs, whose translucent eyes gave them the name “caviar with eyes,” tear the shells of the eggs into two halves and float up into the water column.

Reproduction of Kamchatka crabs

About a month after the start of migration, schools of males and females meet in shallow waters and mix. The mating period begins. The females at this time look very unpresentable: a dirty shell overgrown with barnacle shells, empty egg shells on the abdominal legs. Nevertheless, the males choose their mates and clamp the claws of the females with their claws. Couples can remain in this “handshake” position for 3 to 7 days. Then the males help the females moult by pulling off the contaminated old shell from them, and attach spermatophores to the bases of the third pair of walking legs of the female. After this, the partners separate. After some time, the female lays eggs on her abdominal legs, which are fertilized from the spermatophore and which the female carries on herself until next spring.

After mating, the schools of females and males again migrate separately, now the crabs go in search of food and feed all summer. Before the summer migration, the males molt, but in complete solitude, hiding among the underwater rocks. During the feeding period, crab schools gradually move from one field to another at an average speed of about 4 kilometers per day, destroying a significant number of bottom animals.

Where do Kamchatka crabs live?

The largest quantity of Kamchatka crab, as its name suggests, is found off the coast of Kamchatka, as well as in Primorye. Its distribution area goes from Posiet Bay through the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, through the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and most of the Bering Sea along the Aleutian Islands to the Pacific coast of Canada.

Hello, dear aquarists!

I have already talked about freshwater shrimp and crayfish. It's time to introduce you to the freshwater crab. So!

King leopard crab(Parathelphusa pantherina) is a freshwater crab that has absolutely no need for land areas: it is perfectly confined to the bottom! No, he can climb onto land, but he does this extremely rarely.

The appearance of a leopard crab in an aquarium rightfully evokes admiration and attracts the observer’s eye: of course! Just look at the coloring: the crab is painted in the perfect combination of pastel colors - the beige color of the carapace (that is, the “boxes”, the body) and claws, and is all strewn with dark brown dots. The spectacle is amazing!

By the way: it is precisely because of the ideal combination of color and dots that the color of the crab is very similar to the body color of a leopard, hence the name - leopard. And the crab received the name “King” for its size: the diameter of the carapace (“box”) is 5 centimeters, the width is 3-4 centimeters, and the length of the entire crab - including the claws - reaches 15 centimeters! Well, why not His Majesty?!

The king leopard crab is native to Indonesia. In nature, it lives in reservoirs, with a fairly high hardness reaching 8 (Ph), at a temperature of +28*C. But they can also live in cooler water +20*C: the main condition is not lower than +20*C.

In an aquarium, the crab does not need acidic water: neutral water and low hardness are sufficient - only 10*.

leopard crab

An aquarium for a crab should be equipped in the same way as for a crayfish: driftwood, stones, empty pots - all this is used as shelter and housing.

You should not put several male crabs in one aquarium: they will fight and fight until they die! The optimal solution: one male and two or three females.

The food for the leopard crab in the aquarium should be complete and varied. The concept of “full nutrition” means shrimp meat, pieces of frozen or boiled sea fish (fillet), chicken (fillet), plants (lettuce leaves that need to be chopped, pieces of zucchini, cucumber). In general, both protein and carbohydrates should be present. It is highly recommended to add eggshell powder to the crab diet: this is calcium, which crabs need to form a new shell during the molting period.

By the way, about molting. This period in the life of a crab that lives in natural conditions differs sharply from the period of a crab living in an aquarium.

The fact is that in natural conditions, the crab prepares for molting at the hormonal level, since in nature everything is clearly predetermined: both the temperature of the water and its parameters (acidity, aeration, etc.). There are no such conditions in an aquarium: only you create them! Yes, friends: in the aquarium you act as Neptune and everything depends only on you and your attention.

Therefore, you need to know the following:
First of all, with crabs you never turn off!
Secondly, you cannot overfeed the crab, since the crab begins to excrete more waste products, thereby poisoning its own habitat (well, if you don’t take it to the toilet, it will leave with the tide in the toilet).
Thirdly, at the moment of molting, the crab should not experience.

How to find out? Simple: ask him! Joke. You won't need to know this if you follow a simple rule: balanced nutrition is the key to health and longevity. This means that you need to feed the crab twice a day: for example. In the morning they gave him a piece of meat, and in the evening - a piece of cucumber. The next day, in the morning they gave me boiled fish or shrimp, and in the evening - lettuce leaves and a piece of zucchini.

Keep the bottom clean: remove waste in a timely manner.

And finally, a warning: although the leopard crab does not like land, it can still get out of the aquarium, and how! Therefore, if you don’t want to spend half a day looking for it, then close the aquarium with a lid.

That's all. I hope you liked the article. Let me take my leave for now. See you in the next articles!

Kamchatka crabs are one of those inhabitants of our planet that have long become an object of close attention, both from the planet’s leading specialists and from ordinary fauna lovers. And this is perhaps not surprising. The animal is actually unusual and quite rare today.

Unfortunately, there are still those representatives of the human race for whom Kamchatka crabs are just one of the lines on the menu of an expensive restaurant.

We are not at all trying to preach or promote vegetarianism. To eat or not to eat animals is, undoubtedly, everyone’s business. However, after reading the proposed sections, the reader, if desired, will be able to reconsider his views on the surrounding reality, for example, by learning what characteristic features the living Kamchatka crab has, where it lives, what it eats and how it reproduces.

Section 1. Where do these animals live?

Basically, the name speaks for itself. Even the most incurious reader will immediately realize that this type of crab is found en masse in Russia, namely off the coast of Kamchatka.

Although not everyone knows that it is also found in Primorye. Among other things, it can be found in the territory from Posiet Bay to the Pacific coast of Canada, if you move through the northern part of the Japanese Sea to the Okhotsk and Bering Seas along the Aleutian Islands.

Section 2. What does it look like?

The Kamchatka crab (in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of central Russia it can only be seen in the zoo) is a fairly large species of crustacean.

By the way, it is not uncommon for him to be mistakenly classified as an ordinary representative of this species. This is nothing more than an unfortunate misconception. Why? The thing is that it has one significant difference: instead of five, this creature has four pairs of legs, so it would be more correct to classify it as a craboid.

The shell and phalanges of the Kamchatka crab are brown, have purple spots on the sides, and the abdomen is yellow-white.

The Kamchatka crab can live 20 years. Surprisingly, in rare cases, in an adult, the carapace grows up to 20-25 cm in width, and the weight can reach 7 kg. On average, there are males with a shell of 15-16 cm and a weight of 2.5 kg.

The females of this crustacean are much smaller in size and weight. They are distinguished by semicircular shapes and a fairly wide abdomen, under which eggs develop almost all year round. But the abdomen of males more closely resembles a symmetrical triangle.

Section 3. What do they eat?

Kamchatka crabs are real predators. They feed on mollusks, polychaetes, echinoderms, small sea acorns and many other bottom animals.

The claws of the Kamchatka crab are quite powerful. With them, he effortlessly tears apart the prey, then, using his legs and jaws, grinds it and sends the food into his mouth.

As a rule, the right claw is larger in size; it is used to break mollusk shells and crush the skeletons of sea urchins, but the left one is used by the crab only for gripping.

Section 4. Where do they winter?

Perhaps the answer to this question cannot but interest me. But in fact, where does the animal spend time during the cold season?

The wintering grounds of crabs are located relatively far from the coast, where the depth reaches 110-200 meters. Kamchatka crabs do not hibernate; they lead exactly the same active lifestyle in winter as in summer.

They have to go deeper due to the lower water temperature in shallow water and the formation of ice. In the spring, as soon as the sea bays are cleared of ice, crustaceans begin to move to smaller areas. It is interesting to note that during this period, male and female king crabs move towards the shore in separate groups. This can be explained simply: female crabs carry last year’s developed eggs on their abdominal legs. Halfway through the adults' journey to the shore, the larvae hatch.

Section 5. How do Kamchatka crabs reproduce?

About a month after migration, shoals of female and male individuals mix in shallow water, and the mating period begins. Moreover, female Kamchatka crabs at this time look far from beautiful: a dirty shell overgrown with shells, empty shells from eggs completely covering the abdominal legs. But the males do not pay attention to this, they choose their girlfriends, pinching the females’ claws with their claws. Couples remain in this “handshake” position for 3 to 7 days.

After this, the males help the females molt - they pull off the females' contaminated old shell, and then attach spermatophores to the bases of their third pair of walking legs.

It should be noted that after mating, females and males again migrate separately, going in search of food.

Before the summer migration, males also molt, but alone among the stones. After a while, the female lays eggs, fertilizing them from the spermatophore. The female carries the eggs on herself until next spring.

Section 6. Why is this type of animal valuable?

Kamchatka crabs, or rather, their tender meat, are highly valued by gourmets for their excellent taste, minimal amount of calories, high content of mineral elements, zinc, iodine, vitamins, and amino acids.

The most valuable are caviar and meat located in the area of ​​​​the legs, claws and the articulation of the legs with the body. From a medical point of view, dishes made from this crab are often recommended to be consumed to improve vision, as well as for anemia and various cardiovascular diseases.

Section 7. How to cook Kamchatka crab?

Properly cooked Kamchatka crab, photos of which can be seen on the menus of the most luxurious restaurants on the planet, has the most tender meat and a subtle aroma of sea freshness.

Is it possible to try it, as they say, at home? Surely! Not everyone knows that there is a simple and fairly quick way to cook crab that anyone can handle. So, first of all, this crustacean should be boiled in very salty water, and to improve the taste, it is recommended to add allspice, carrots, leeks, onions, celery root and even wine to the broth. How to calculate everything correctly? Very simple. For example, for a crab weighing 1.5 kg, you need to take a pan that can hold at least 30 liters of water and 4 liters of wine.

You need to cook it for at least 15 minutes, but at the same time, when cooking, it is important to ensure that the crab is not overcooked, otherwise its meat will resemble rubber more than a delicious delicacy.

Kamchatka crab, photos and detailed descriptions of dishes from which are found in almost all cookbooks, is a great way to surprise even the most fastidious gourmet guests.

Naturally, when setting the table, you cannot do without a beautiful presentation of the dish. For example, why not place the prepared crab on a dish along with herbs to make the delicacy look as if it were alive? Tempting? By the way, please note: it is advisable to first cut the crab shell near the claws. This will make cutting it much easier.

Origin and description of the species

The Kamchatka crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) owes its name to its external resemblance to crabs, however, according to the zoological classification, it originated in the process of evolutionary development from hermit crabs belonging to the Craboid family, the general genus Paralithodes.

The main difference from crabs is the shortened fifth pair of walking legs hidden under the shell, as well as the irregularly shaped, asymmetrical abdomen with chitinous scutes in females. A short pair of limbs in hermit crabs serves to hold the shell. In the process of evolution, the Kamchatka crab stopped living in a shell and therefore the need to hold it disappeared. The fifth pair of legs is used to clean the gills.

The crab moves with the help of four pairs of limbs, moving them in turn. It moves at a fairly high speed, the direction of movement in this species is to the side.

The abdomen, bent and shortened, has small plates and microlegs, the asymmetrical arrangement of which confirms the origin of the arthropod from species in which the abdomen is twisted in a spiral shape.

Video: Kamchatka crab

The senses of touch and smell are provided by the front antennae with sensitive cylinders located on them. This species feature has a significant impact on feeding behavior, helping in the search and selection of food.

As the individual grows, a change in the frame skeleton occurs, or molting. The frequency of molting at the beginning of life, especially during the development of larvae, is high and occurs much less frequently, up to 1-2 per year in an adult, and by the end of life it happens only once every two years. How often crabs should molt is regulated by special glands located on the eyestalks. Before shedding the old frame, the soft parts of the arthropod are already covered with a still weak, pliable shell. The Kamchatka crab lives on average about 20 years.

Appearance and features

The crab's body consists of two parts - the cephalothorax, located under a protective shell, and the abdomen, folded under the cephalothorax. The eyes are protected by an overhanging shell or beak. The carpax has sharp protective spine-like spines, 6 of which are located above the heart and 11 above the stomach area.

In addition to the protective function, the shell also serves as a support and exoskeleton, because muscle fibers that carry out movements are attached to it from the inside. On the lateral surfaces of the frame shell there are respiratory organs - gills. The nervous system is represented by a chain of interconnected nerve nodes located on the underside of the cephalothorax and abdomen. The heart is located at the back, and the stomach is located at the head.

Of the five pairs of legs, the crab uses only four to move. The reduced fifth pair is hidden under the shell and is used to clean the gills.

Interesting fact. The use of claws in the Kamchatka crab differs in the nature of the function performed. With its left claw, the crab cuts softer food, and with its right claw it crushes hard food - sea urchins that live on the bottom, the shells of various mollusks. The claws differ in size; the right one is larger, performing more difficult work.

In males, the width of the body varies from 16 to 25 cm and the weight reaches 7 kg. The distance between the ends of the long legs of the largest individuals is about 1.5 m. Females are smaller in size - body up to 16 cm, weight on average 4 kg. The female is also distinguished by the presence of a round and irregularly shaped abdomen.

The color of the shell of the Kamchatka crab is red with a brown tint on top, areas and inclusions in the form of purple specks are noted on the side surfaces, the color of the crab is lighter below - from white to yellowish.

Where does the Kamchatka crab live?

Wide distribution is noted in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, where arthropods of this species are more abundantly found in the Kamchatka region in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as in the Bering Sea. The crab also lives off the American coast in Bristol Bay, Norton Bay and near the Aleutian Islands. In the Sea of ​​Japan, habitat is noted on the southern side.

Interesting fact. Biologists of the Soviet Union developed and carried out the relocation of the species to the Barents Sea.

The new environmental conditions are different from the usual conditions of natural habitat (lower water salinity, temperature ranges, annual temperature changes). The theoretical preparation process took place since 1932, induced by the main goal of achieving economic profit from fishing in its waters, avoiding high competition from Japan and other countries.

The first attempts to transport crabs were carried out by rail and were unsuccessful - all individuals died, the travel time was long, it took more than 10 days. After this, in the 60s, air transportation was carried out, taking a short time. This is how the first batches of arthropods were delivered and acclimatized. Later, in the 70s, transportation took place in specially equipped cars and was the most successful.

Currently, as a result of the process of invasion, an independent population unit with a high replenishing and self-regulating population has formed in the North Atlantic. There is an industrial catch of large males. Catching juveniles and females is prohibited.

What does the king crab eat?

The food for this species is very diverse and the crab is inherently an omnivorous predator.

Food objects are all inhabitants of the seabed:

• various shellfish;
• plankton;
• worms;
• sea ​​urchins;
• crustaceans;
• ascidians;
• small fish;
• sea ​​stars.

The young feed:

• algae;
• hydroid organisms;
• worms.

During their lives, representatives of this species make mass movements for food purposes. Moving from one ecosystem to another, the dominant species in a particular system become food.

Powerful claws serve as an excellent tool, and the crab easily obtains the necessary food. Moreover, when killing the prey, the crab does not eat it completely, and most of its mass is lost. Crabs also eat the corpses of fish and other marine organisms, acting as a water purifier. After the introduction of the crab into the waters of the northern seas, there is still no clear opinion about the impact of the settler on local biosystems as a whole.

Some scientists criticize the experiment, fearing for the presence and numbers of native species of inhabitants of the northern seas, with which the Kamchatka crab competes in nutritional needs and on which it feeds. After all, by consuming certain types of organisms en masse, the crab can lead to their depletion and even extinction. Other scientists speak favorably of the results of the introduction, emphasizing economic benefits.

Interesting fact. At different periods of their life cycle, arthropods prefer different foods. For example, an individual that is about to molt in the near future preferably chooses organisms with a high calcium content, such as echinoderms, as food.

Features of character and lifestyle

The strong frame of the arthropod, serving as protection and support, at the same time prevents growth between the moments of its change. The animal grows only in a short period (usually no more than 3 days), when the old hard frame is discarded, and the new one, still soft and pliable, does not interfere with its rapid increase in size. After a growth spurt, the chitinous cover is intensively impregnated with calcium salts and overall growth stops until the subsequent molt.

The frequency of shell changes varies over the course of life:

• up to 12 times after the formation of the larva during the year;
• up to 7 times, less often in the second year of life;
• 2 times during the year during the period of life from the third to the ninth year of an individual’s life;
• 1 time from the ninth to the twelfth years of life;
• Once every two years, from the age of thirteen until the end of your life.

During molting, the animal tries to find shelter in depressions or rock cracks, as it becomes defenseless without a strong frame.

Interesting fact. Molting affects not only the outer cover of the crab; internal organs are also renewed - the membranes of the esophagus, stomach and intestines are renewed. The ligaments and tendons with which muscle fibers are attached to the exoskeleton are also subject to renewal. Cardiac tissues are also renewed.

A representative of this species is a rather active arthropod, constantly performing migratory movements. The route of movement does not change, repeating itself every year. The reason for migration is seasonal changes in water temperature and the availability of food, as well as the reproductive instinct.

So, with the onset of winter, the crab sinks along the bottom into deep waters within 200-270 m. With warming, it returns to the warmed shallow waters filled with food. Crabs migrate en masse, gathering in groups of varying numbers. Males are ready to breed when they reach ten years of age and females are seven or eight years old.

Social structure and reproduction

After the onset of spring, males begin their journey to shallow water. Females move in the same direction, but in separate groups. The female carries already ripe eggs on legs located near the abdomen. Closer to shallow water, larvae emerge from the eggs and are carried away by the current. By this time, new eggs have already been formed in the female’s genital organs, which are yet to be fertilized.

With the beginning of molting, individuals of both sexes come closer and form a characteristic pose - the male holds the female with both claws, reminiscent of shaking hands. The holding continues until the end of the moult; sometimes the male helps the chosen one to free herself from the old frame. After the completion of molting (on average from three to seven days), the male releases a ribbon with germ cells - spermatophores, which is attached to the female’s legs. The male, having completed the mission, leaves and also moults.

After some time (from several hours to several days), the female spawns eggs (from 50 to 500 thousand), which, when they meet the male’s ribbon, are fertilized. A special sticky substance collects the eggs together and attaches them to the villi on the female's abdominal legs, where they undergo a development cycle until the following spring, for 11 months. The female spawns eggs only once a year, in the spring, but males can mate with several females.

The larvae that have just hatched from the eggs remain in the water column for about two months and are transported by the current; at this stage of development, up to 96% of the larvae die. Afterwards, the surviving larvae sink to the bottom, into algae thickets, where they live for three years. They molt frequently and go through several stages of development. Then the young individuals move to sandy bottom areas. Migration begins after reaching 5 years of age, sometimes 7 years of age.

Natural enemies of Kamchatka crabs

Adult large representatives of the species have few natural enemies, since the crab has excellent protection - a reliable and durable shell, which in addition is covered with sharp spine-like needles. Only large marine mammals are able to overpower an adult crab.

Smaller individuals have a greater number of enemies, among them:

• predatory fish;
• Pacific cod;
• halibut;
• marine;
• bulls;
• octopuses;
• large crabs of different species (intraspecific cannibalism is noted).

During the molting period, the crab becomes absolutely vulnerable and is forced to seek shelter. Man is not one of the natural enemies of the species, however, given uncontrolled commercial fishing and poaching, man has every chance of becoming a species enemy. Therefore, quotas for catching royal arthropods are determined at the state level in order to use population reserves as carefully as possible without undermining their numbers and ability to recover.

Human activities indirectly negatively affect marine life, in particular the Kamchatka crab. Industrial chemical waste, plastic, and petroleum products pollute the vast seas and oceans, negatively affecting all flora and fauna. As a result, entire species are vulnerable to depletion or are on the verge of extinction.

Population and species status

King crab migration occurs in groups of individuals, with females and males moving separately, meeting only once a year, in the spring, for mating. Juveniles also move separately, creating groups of young. The size of the crab population in the Kamchatka region is currently significantly reduced, for the same reasons of large-scale and uncontrolled commercial fishing.

In the Barents Sea, where the species was artificially introduced, the situation is the opposite. Due to the absence of many natural enemies regulating the population, the royal arthropod quickly spread throughout the coastal territory of the Barents Sea. According to rough estimates, the population size in 2006 was more than 100 million individuals and continues to grow.

The polyphagous predator quickly exterminates the indigenous species of many crustaceans, mollusks and others, which rightly raises concerns among many biologists for the continued existence of a stable ecosystem in the Barents Sea.

Since 2004, Russia began commercial fishing. Allowable fishing volumes are determined each year based on the current situation in the estimated population size.

Kamchatka crab An interesting arthropod with a special development cycle. Representatives of this species have successfully completed the process of introduction and acclimatization into the northern Barents Sea. Scientists predict differently how this invasion will affect the integrity of the marine ecosystem in the future.

Many people probably remember how at the beginning of the 2000s, a delicacy popularly called crab sticks came to the table of Russians. Of course, at that time the Russians did not even think that this product had nothing to do with crab, only if the flavor was red in color on this “delicacy”, which actually contained only white fish fillets and starch.

Crab meat is a unique delicacy for central Russia and an everyday product for residents, for example, of the Far East. There, Far Eastern Kamchatka crab meat is cheaper and the quality is much better.

Peculiarities

King crab is the second name for the Kamchatka sea dweller. This is what the Japanese called it because of its impressive size compared to other crustacean representatives.

Its habitat is the coast of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, the island of Hokkaido, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Barents Sea. It was brought to the shores of Murmansk in the Barents Sea in the 60s, when the USSR's rivalry with Japan for crab fishing began. In this regard, zoological specialists decided that the Soviets would have no competitors in the Barents Sea, but they turned out to be wrong. The restless king crab has multiplied to the shores of Norway and the Norwegians have already begun to compete with the USSR. Although in fact, at first they did not know what to do when this prankster ate all their coastal fauna. The solution to this problem was to catch and sell this seafood for export. Now Norway is one of the world leaders in this fishery.

The largest king crabs live off the coast of Canada, where they were introduced at the end of the last century. Their shell reaches a maximum size of 29 cm in width, they have the heaviest weight due to favorable living conditions.

Crustaceans of the Barents Sea are up to 25 cm wide. In the Sea of ​​Japan, there are babies with an average width of 22 cm. In Kamchatka, crabs often mate with other species, specifically with the snow crab, and therefore their sizes are not so large, although the gene pool is quite viable.

The largest crab weighs 5-6 kg at the age of 19 years. Its average weight is about 3 kg. The leg span of the Kamchatka crab can be up to 1.7 m. The first phalanx of the crab's leg is the largest, longest and very fleshy. Meat accounts for up to 70% of its total volume.

The Kamchatka crab is a predator. It eats many marine life, from crustaceans to small fish. Starfish can also suffer from their attacks. In general, crabs are omnivores, although they switch to vegetarianism only in the absence of other more nutritious prey.

The crab itself can also become prey. It is hunted by sea otters and octopuses. And, of course, this matter cannot be done without a person either.

The Kamchatka crab is a very unique arthropod. While the ordinary crab lives only in salt water, the Kamchatka crab can quite easily live in the fresh waters of rivers and lakes. After all, in fact, it belongs to the species of crayfish. And this is the first feature of Kamchatka crab.

The first of five pairs of limbs has another feature. It is developed absolutely asymmetrically, since each performs its own function: one is needed by the crab to eat food, and the second breaks the shells of the crab’s victims.

Kamchatka crustaceans, unlike other crabs, have antennae, and the color of their shell is brown with purple spots.

Another structural feature also indicates its direct relationship with crayfish, namely its soft tail. The shell itself and the chest area of ​​the creature are decorated with conical spikes. Adult crabs, like crayfish, shed their “armor” once a year. In old age, this process slows down, but young individuals molt more often - about twice a year.

Its life period is relatively short - about 15-20 years, while females mature only at the age of 8, however, they immediately begin to lay eggs in large quantities, about 300 thousand eggs. Only 10% of them survive. The rest go to feed marine life at the larval stage.

Currently, the number of Kamchatka crab has thinned out, so crab fishing is allowed only in certain places. Catching female crabs and young representatives of this species is also prohibited.

Comparison with other species

The opilio crab, or snow crab, also lives in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It is smaller than the Kamchatka one and reaches only 15 cm in width. Its shell is not protected by spikes, and its claws resemble scissors. Its population is huge and exceeds the population of Kamchatka crab, which is why the cost of snow crab is lower than that of the Far Eastern crab. It lives in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and off the coast of Sakhalin.

Its relatives are also found off the coast of Alaska, which are called snow crab. It survives in cold waters due to its ability to adapt to harsh conditions. It has greater resilience and is completely fearless in the cold. In size, its shell is about 14 cm wide, and its weight is up to 1 kg.

Another representative of crabs is the frog crab. Its meat tastes like the meat of dorado fish, and it itself looks like a frog. Its average weight is from 0.2 to 0.4 kg.

The blue crab lives in the vastness of the North and Baltic seas, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean. Compared to Kamchatka crab meat, blue crab meat is much softer and more tender, but the most delicate ingredient in the body of a sea creature is about 40%, so its fillet is more expensive, and it is used as an additional component in the dish. The weight of a whole carcass is from 0.4 to 0.5 kg.

The hairy crab, which lives off the coast of Sakhalin, has more meat than the Kamchatka crab, and it also contains liver, which has a beneficial effect on the body almost in the same way as oysters. The weight of the largest representative of this species is 2 kg.

Another crab-like species lives in the Bering, Okhotsk and Japan Seas - the spiny crab. The difference between the two representatives is the amount of meat. Unlike its “Kamchatka brother,” it is juicier and tastier, although it has less fiber. It is lighter than Kamchatka crab, as its maximum weight is up to 1.8 kg.

Compound

Crab meat contains essential amino acids and other biologically active substances, necessary for the normal functioning of the human body:

• vitamin A – 30 mcg;
• retinol – 0.03 mg;
• thiamine (B1) – 0.05 mg;
• riboflavin – 0.08 mg;
• pantothenic acid (B5) – 0.6 mg;
• pyridoxine (B6) – 0.35 mg;
• folates (B9) – 20 mcg;
• cobalamin (B12) – 1 mcg;
• ascorbic acid (C) – 1 mg;
• alpha tocopherol (E) – 1.5 mg;
• vitamin PP – 3 mg
• potassium – 310 mg;
• calcium – 100 mg;
• magnesium – 50 mg;
• sodium – 250 mg;
• sulfur – 182 mg;
• phosphorus – 260 mg;
• iron – 4.3 mg;
• cholesterol – 70 mg;
• saturated fatty acids – 0.2 g.

Calories and nutritional value

The composition of BZHU crab meat weighing 100 g is as follows:

• proteins – 18.29 g;
• fats – 0.6 g;
• carbohydrates – 0 g.

Its calorie content is low - about 70 kcal, which allows nutritionists to include it in the diet of their patients. Kamchatka crab contains 24% of the daily value of protein, 1% fat and 0% carbohydrates.

The daily norm of minerals contained in 100 g of crab meat is expressed by the following indicators:

• calcium – 4.6%;
• manganese – 1.5%;
• potassium – 4.3%;
• iron – 5.9%;
• magnesium – 12.3%;
• phosphorus – 31.3%;
• zinc – 54.1%;
• sodium – 64.3%;
• selenium – 66.2%;
• copper – 102.4%.

In 100 g of crab meat, 80 of them are water. It also contains ash substances, which are small - only 1.2 g.

Benefit

Crab meat is a versatile product that can be served both as a main dish and as a side dish. Possessing a number of useful qualities, it has a beneficial effect on the body, therefore, using crab meat in your diet, a person not only gets pleasure, but also saturates his body with useful substances.

Of course, crab meat is a very healthy product, which explains its high price. It contains a complex of B vitamins, which regulate the functioning of one of the most important human organs - the heart. It also maintains normal hemoglobin levels. Vitamin B5 ensures the normal functioning of the brain and the entire nervous system. Folic acid (B9) is very important for the normal development of pregnancy and, in particular, the fetus itself. Potassium and calcium, as well as phosphorus, are necessary for the normal development and formation of bone tissue.

Proteins, which are the most abundant in crab meat, are responsible for the structure of muscle tissue. There is no connective tissue in them, so they are absorbed in full.

Crab meat is often used in dietary nutrition, since its calorie content is low and all the necessary elements, which are so important for a limited diet, are present in the crab. Thus, a person, while on a diet and eating crab meat, does not deprive himself of useful substances.

Iodine in meat regulates the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, and fatty acids help fight anemia and atherosclerosis.

Magnesium in combination with B vitamins tends to have a positive effect on a person’s emotional state, relieves aggression and reduces nervousness.

Crab contains a fairly large amount of copper, an element that a woman needs during pregnancy and lactation, since the need for this element increases during pregnancy.

Omega-3 and omega-6 acids filter cholesterol in the blood and minimize the possibility of heart attack and stroke.

Crab meat is very useful when the following pathologies and abnormalities occur:

• myopia;
• farsightedness;
• anemia;
• disruption of the digestive system;
• excessive weight gain;
• disturbances in the functioning of the heart muscle;
• abnormalities in the functioning of the thyroid gland.

Undoubtedly, crab meat is a very tasty product. But in addition to gastronomic pleasures, crabs also provide benefits in industrial production and medicine. It is known that its body and some of its insides are covered with a chitinous layer. The substance chitin is widely used in the following industries:

• in medicine it is used in production to make self-absorbable thread;
• in textile production it acts as a dye;
• can improve the quality of paper, so it is used in the paper industry;
• helps fight radiation, so it is used to create anti-radiation drugs.

Harm

Due to their location in the food chain, these crustaceans often have to eat carrion. Often it enters the arthropod’s body not in the best form. After consuming it, he can get various infections and transmit viruses and germs. Therefore, crab meat is not always beneficial for humans. In this regard, it is necessary to use only certified products for food in order to avoid negative consequences.

An allergy to seafood is also a contraindication to eating crab meat.

During pregnancy, there are no contraindications for using crab meat for food, however, only in small quantities and no more than once a week, and then only if the pregnant woman is not allergic to it. Lactation excludes the nursing mother from eating this meat, since the baby’s stomach in the first months is very sensitive, as is its immune system.

How to choose?

Knowing how to choose quality meat, you can easily cook it at home for your loved ones as well as any chef.

When choosing crab meat, you need to know where exactly in the body of the Kamchatka crab it is concentrated. The edible parts are the limbs (particularly the claws) and the abdomen or abdomen. The taste of the meat depends on many factors: what the crab ate, how old it is, whether it is a female or a male, what size it is.

If he ate only carrion, then it is quite possible that the crab meat was contaminated with some kind of microbe. Large individuals and female individuals are not particularly tasty and are not at all dietary due to the too fatty meat.

Supermarkets sell crab meat in different interpretations - raw, boiled, frozen, dried and other forms. It can even be found in ready-made frozen dishes. You just have to warm them up.

If you buy Kamchatka crab meat raw and chilled, then you need to know how to check it and what to pay attention to in order to get a really high-quality product from the seller for a lot of money.

The first phalanx of the crab's limb is the fleshiest. The short second phalanx no longer has as much meat as the first, so they are less often sent for sale. The knee is the part of the leg where the phalanges articulate. It is often used as a snack, as it is a delicacy like shrimp.

As for the first pair of limbs, both claws also contain meat, but the structure is completely different. In the fighting fist, that is, in the larger claw, there is a lot of meat and it is quite dense, rich in proteins and proteins. The smaller claw contains a smaller percentage of meat, but it is sweeter in taste and softer in consistency.

The softest and most tender meat is in the so-called “rose”, that is, in the shoulder where the legs connect to the body of the crustacean.

Sliced ​​crab or crab mix, where parts of crab meat are sold as a whole, are also suitable for salad mixes. Salad meat usually contains different parts that could not be sold as a whole.

If you buy live crab in its natural form, here are some recommendations for choosing it.

• A living, healthy crustacean is active. You need to choose a medium-sized crab, since small crabs have very little meat, and large ones may be tasteless or have no taste at all.
• Males have more meat, so it is recommended to buy them. You can determine gender by the tail: in females it is wider and more noticeable.
• If the crab is bought in its shell, it should remain hard when pressed even after heat treatment and freezing. If the crab is young and medium-sized, the shell of such a representative may not be completely hard due to its change during the catch, since it was caught at the moment of formation of a new “armor”. By the way, this type of representative is the most delicious.
• If a live crustacean is stored in a store aquarium, then when it is caught there should be no fishy smell from it. Boiled crab exudes a sweetish aroma.
• When purchasing a live sea creature, you must inspect its body for cuts. Wounds may contain microbes that negatively affect the taste characteristics of meat.
• The eyes should not be pale gray. A healthy crab has black, shiny eyes.
• There should be no plaque on the shell. Any spots on the crustacean indicate its illness.

• inactive and sedentary;
• too big crab;
• adult soft-shell crabs;
• male or female with pale, dull eyes;
• scratched or damaged crab.

Frozen carcass can be purchased both in specialized seafood stores and in regular supermarkets. Due to sanctions, currently most often domestic Kamchatka seafood is brought for sale. When an arthropod is frozen, it is not always possible to inspect it well, making it very difficult to make a purchasing decision. It is necessary to check the expiration date of the product, as well as all certificates and trade permits of the store that sells seafood.

There should not be a lot of ice on the carcass. It is necessary to give preference to the product in dry freezing. Usually this procedure is performed directly on the ship using air cooled to a temperature of -40 degrees.

Crab meat can only be frozen once, so if there is snow in the refrigerated product, it has already been thawed for sale and cannot be frozen again. If this crustacean is presented as freshly caught, and the seller does not comment on the snow in any way, it is recommended not to enter this dubious store again or to ask for documents and certificates from the seller.

Crab meat is also sold in canned form. Canned meat is of the highest and first grade. Most often, canned food is made on floating factories. So fresh, freshly caught crabs from the ship immediately go into production.

When purchasing such a product in cans, unfortunately, it will not be possible to assess its quality visually. Canned food is also sold in glass containers, in which parts of the carcass are clearly visible. They should be creamy white with red stripes. Water in canned products should not exceed 20% of the total weight of the contents. And, of course, when choosing a can of canned food, you should always look at the expiration date and production date.

To learn how to cook crab, watch the following video.