In our article, we want to talk about decapods. They have long been widely known. Having large sizes and excellent taste, decapods have long been the subject of fishing.
Squad of decapods
Of the variety of crustaceans, decapods are the most popular. It is worth remembering the crayfish, which have long been the heroes of numerous fables and fairy tales.
Decapods are industrial species. If we talk about their capture, then, for example, in 1962, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and spiny lobsters caught more than one million tons, which is twice as much as the catch of all salmon. In Russia, Kamchatka crabs are fished by large vessels, which are floating seafood processing plants.
Decapods are fairly common throughout the world. They are found in all seas and oceans, starting from the very edge of the water and up to five kilometer depth. The tropical waters are especially rich in decapods; shrimps, crabs and lobsters live here. Crayfish live in fresh lakes and rivers.
A squad of decapods is the highest crustacean of arthropods. This group has more than 8.5 thousand varieties. Among them, there are even those who have long moved to a terrestrial way of life.
Shrimp
Real shrimps are small sea crustaceans that live in almost all seas. All varieties are very different in size. Among chefs, the most popular are quite expensive and large tiger prawns with stripes on the shell. They are grown on special farms in Southeast Asia. But there is another big shrimp called jumbo, which reaches thirty centimeters. Small European prawns that live in the Norwegian fjords (Skaggerak Strait) are also valued.
When purchasing real shrimp in a supermarket, note that the packaging contains numbers that indicate how many pieces are per kilogram. The average size of the shrimp are indicators - 90/120. That is, a kilogram contains from 90 to one hundred and twenty individuals.
The structure and nutrition of shrimp
The body of the shrimp is covered with chitinous cover, which periodically changes during molting. Individuals have five pairs of swimming legs. Using sharp contraction and relaxation of the abdomen, shrimp can swim back. These creatures are armed with large antennae-whiskers, which serve not only for smell, touch, but also for orientation in space.
Shrimps are seen only in the immediate vicinity. For orientation they are served to a greater extent by antennae.
Like other crustaceans, shrimp eat a variety of foods: dying plants, organic debris. Animals will not refuse to eat insects. But in most cases they feed on carrion.
Large shrimp that live on the shelf of the African coast, prefer to stay on silty platforms near the estuaries. During the day, they dig into the ground, and with the onset of darkness they begin to search for prey.
Ecuador ranks first in the export of crustaceans, engaged in their breeding on specialized farms. Shrimp is fed with special compound feeds, although in the natural environment they prefer small crustaceans and algae. Such food makes shrimp shells very durable.
Lobsters or Lobsters
Omar (see photo in the article) also belongs to the order of decapod crustaceans. These creatures live in the region of rocks on continental shelves in the warm and cold waters of the ocean. There are different types of lobsters, depending on their taste. The most valuable are considered to be Norwegian and Atlantic lobsters (the second name is lobster). They are not very large, about 22 centimeters, but have excellent taste characteristics, which is why they are appreciated by gourmets. But European lobsters are much larger. They weigh up to ten kilograms with a length of ninety centimeters. Lobsters inhabit the seas of the western coast of Europe, ranging from the Scandinavian Peninsula to the African coast.
There is another type of lobster called American. It weighs about twenty kilograms and at the same time has a meter length. Such decapods are impressive in size. Such giants inhabit the shores of the Atlantic Ocean (from the shores of North Carolina to Labrador). However, experts say that the American lobster (photo is given in the article) is more striking in its outlandish size than its taste characteristics. And, nevertheless, it is bred in artificial conditions on special farms.
I would like to note that lobster, lobster is the name of the same representative of the decapod. Different countries use different terms.
Appearance of Lobsters
Outwardly, these tenfold crayfish are already very similar to their freshwater relatives (crayfish). But differ in their impressive size. In addition, they have very large claws. The color of the lobster can be quite different, it varies from green-blue to gray-green. The antennas are always red, and the tail resembles a fan. The meat from the tail of the lobster has a very dense consistency; escalopes and medallions are prepared from it. Males are significantly larger than females in size. The lobster meat under the transparent shell is white, tender and aromatic. During preparation, the covers of the decapod change their color to intense red, which is why it was called the "sea cardinal."
Spiny lobsters
Spiny lobster is a representative of marine crustaceans (decapods). Outwardly, it looks like a lobster, but it does not have large claws. Such creatures are found in warm Atlantic waters off the coast of America and Europe, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, as well as Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Australia. Cooked spiny lobster is one of the most expensive dishes in the restaurants of the Bahamas, Belize, Bali, Thailand and the many islands of the Caribbean.
Very often lobsters are larger than lobsters. The length of some individuals reaches fifty centimeters, and their weight at the same time reaches three kilograms. The weight of the largest spiny lobster is eleven kilograms, while its length was about a meter.
Externally, distinguishing between lobster and spiny lobster is quite simple. The spiny lobster has numerous spikes on the shell and there are no large claws. Only the tail and abdomen of this tenth are eaten. The meat has a delicate taste.
Spiny lobster breeding
Lobsters reach puberty at the age of five; they reproduce sexually. Females lay eggs in a special bag on the body, later they are fertilized by male reproductive products. After a couple of months, small larvae appear that calmly swim in the water. Very quickly they become small spiny lobsters and go to live to the bottom. Gradually, from small creatures, they turn into adults. Moreover, in the first year of life, molting of chitinous cover occurs monthly.
Spiny lobsters grow rather slowly, but at the same time they are not at all threatened with extinction, perhaps this is due to their near-bottom lifestyle.
Instead of an afterword
Lobster, spiny lobster, shrimp - representatives of decapod crustaceans. Of interest to people is, first of all, their tasty and healthy meat. However, do not forget about their significance in nature, because they are an integral part of natural food chains, as they are food for fish and pinnipeds. At the same time, they themselves eat small animals and invertebrates.