In total, there are ten thousand species of crabs (decapod crayfish), and twenty varieties of them live in the Black Sea. They have a fairly decent size, unusual shape and habits. Most of them live in the shallow waters of the coastal zone, hiding in algae. Let's look at what types of crabs live in the Black Sea.
Stone crab
Stone crab - the largest crab in the Black Sea. He prefers to live in those places where deeper. Of course, it can be found near the coast, but only in deserted and deserted places. The Black Sea crab, the size of which reaches nine to ten centimeters, does not feed on carrion, like other varieties, it is strong and aggressive in itself, therefore it can become a dexterous and fast predator at any moment. In an ambush, a crab can guard small fish, worms, and snails. His claws are very strong, he snaps at them shells of mollusks, as well as hermit crabs, like seeds.
The Black Sea crab has a special type of muscle. They at the molecular level are quite different from the muscles of man and animal. An interesting fact is that the color of the crab's shell always matches the color of the stones in which it lives. As a rule, this is a reddish-brown hue, but the stone crabs that live among the yellow sandstones are very light in themselves. They guard their shelter in the stones, as well as the adjacent territory from other inhabitants. Females have eggs under the abdomen. At one time they lay 130,000 eggs.
The habitat of this species is very large. Stone crabs not only live in the Black Sea, but also in the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast. Until the eighties of the twentieth century, its number was quite impressive. This species was even considered as industrial. Now its number has decreased significantly, it has moved into the category of endangered species.
Nevertheless, people do amateur fishing. During the day, stone crabs are at a depth, and at night they come to the shallows. It is there that they are caught, blinding with the light of flashlights. The number of stone crab has significantly decreased due to the deterioration of living conditions and uncontrolled catch, because it has good taste.
Hairy crab
The Black Sea hairy crab is very similar to stone, only its size is half that. And the carapace of dark violet color is covered from above with a thick layer of yellow hair setae. The Black Sea crab prefers to live near the coast under stones. Its diet is not very different from the nutrition of other crabs. It poses a danger to gastropods as it splits their strong shells, like a nut.
Marble crab
The shell of a marble crab can be painted from dark brown to blue-green, it is speckled with a large number of light stripes that resemble marble. Due to its dark color and long limbs, it is sometimes called a spider crab. This is the only Black Sea crab that runs out of the water and travels along coastal cliffs and stones.
At night, they can climb the rocks to a height of five meters, and on gentle slopes go five to ten meters from the water. But only sensing danger, they instantly break away and hide in the nearest gap or rush into the water.
What do Black Sea crabs eat? In addition to algae, they eat the remains of their counterparts and various other organics. They do not disdain even scraps from the human table. Marble crabs are also not numerous, and therefore belong to endangered species.
Herbal or Mediterranean Crab
The Black Sea grass crab also lives in shallow water, but prefers abundant grassy thickets, but it may well live among stones. Its green shell reaches eight centimeters. When meeting with a predator, he does not particularly rely on his claws, but immediately runs away. But he runs very quickly, albeit sideways. Its speed reaches up to one meter per second.
Lilac crab, or water lover
The crabs of the Black Sea are very interesting. Among them there is another noteworthy crab hydrophobia. It is rather slow, you can meet it not only in shallow water, but also at depths of up to fifteen meters. Lilac crab loves solitude. It can be buried in the sand and for weeks there be without air and food.
Swimming crab
Swimmer crab is another lover of digging into the ground. It is small in size, but at the same time its hind legs are slightly flattened, like shoulder blades. With their help, he throws sand over himself. In addition, these peculiar flippers crabs are successfully used in the swimming process.
It should be noted that this is the only species that can swim. All other crabs of the Black Sea are not able to do this.
Blue crab
Blue crab is the most rare type of sandy soil. He appeared in the waters of the Black Sea in the sixties of the twentieth century. And he arrived from the Mediterranean. The ships of the east coast of the USA brought it with ballast water. However, the Black Sea was too cold for them. Young crab cannot survive at such temperatures, and therefore it is extremely rare.
Invisible Crab
The invisible crab is an amazing instance. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to detect among algae. A lean and long-legged creature is a true master of disguise.
He sits on his shell tiny tiny bushes of algae and in this form wanders unnoticed.
Pea crab
There is also a very small pea crab. As a rule, he lives among mussels, and sometimes even settles inside a shell with a live mollusk. Such crabs can also be found in shallow water in stones, but it is extremely difficult to make out, since an adult is placed on a ten-copeck coin.
Instead of an afterword
The Black Sea has become the home of twenty varieties of crabs in those places where the coast is stony, right at the water's edge, dense thickets of algae begin. Many inhabitants of the underwater world live in such places, including crabs. They also chose sandbanks.
And the smallest representatives can be found only if you take a bunch of algae and wash them in a basin, only then will a pea crab show itself - the smallest member of the family and the largest master of disguise.