From a zoological point of view, crabs are the same cancers, only short-tailed ones. Their small head is hidden in a special recess under the edge of the shell. In the shape of their bodies, all crabs are very different from the rest of their crustacean relatives. The fact is that in adults, the abdomen is shortened and bent down, and if you look at this creature from above, you can only notice its rounded cephalothorax. Like all other representatives of the fauna world, these creatures have their own hierarchy, which is headed by the so-called king crab.
King among the crabs
The second name of the king crab is Kamchatka. This is one of the largest crustaceans living in the water bodies of the Far East. Tasty, tender and nutritious meat made the Kamchatka crab an object of constant fishing, including illegal. The history of the appearance of this creature in the waters of the Russian Federation is quite simple: in the middle of the last century, this species of crustaceans was intentionally introduced into the Barents Sea.
Kamchatka crab is a massive and powerful crustacean. Often the width of its shell reaches 26 cm, and for individuals inhabiting the Gulf of Alaska, in general 29 cm! The range of walking limbs of this creature ranges from 1 to 1.5 meters, and weight - up to 7 kg. Crab claws are located on the first pair of walking legs, while the right claw is slightly larger and stronger than the left. The animal needs it to break the shells of mussels, to destroy the shells of sea urchins , etc. He needs the left claw to grind food. By the way, this crab feeds exclusively with its left claw.
Where does the king crab live?
The habitat of this creature is very large and diverse. Kamchatka crab can be found in the Sea of Okhotsk, Japan and the Bering Sea. Scientists who observed the life of these crustaceans, came to the conclusion that their greatest concentration is concentrated on the western coast of Kamchatka. It is there that the main crab fishery takes place from year to year.
Kamchatka crab breeding
King crab (photo presented in the article) reaches maturity by 8-10 years, if, of course, we are talking about males. Females become sexually mature a little earlier. These creatures can be called real travelers: from year to year they repeat the same seasonal route. They spend winter colds under water at a depth of 250 m, spending almost all winter there. With the onset of spring, crabs return to their native coast for molting and subsequent breeding. When autumn comes, they again go to the depths. And so constantly.
It is estimated that one female king crab is able to lay up to 300 thousand eggs during the breeding season! Like all crayfish, females of these crabs lay eggs on their abdominal legs for a year. The nature of the wanderings of these creatures largely depends on fluctuations in water temperature. From the places of their permanent wintering, they move to the shores in whole schools: during this period, hundreds of thousands of long-legged king crabs move along the seabed. The sight, of course, is amazing!
It should be noted that during this period, females bear almost formed larvae. On the way to the coveted shallow water, the latter hatch from their eggs and begin independent swimming in the water column. Their mothers, meanwhile, continue on their way. Unfortunately, many larvae do not live to their "maturity", as they are a favorite prey of various marine animals.
In general, Kamchatka crabs are slow-growing creatures, and water temperature is crucial here. For example, in the warm waters of the American coasts they grow and develop twice as fast.
Kamchatka crab - a valuable object of fishing
Kamchatka crabs have a natural lifespan of 20 years, but many of them are not destined to live so much. And all because of the constant hunting for them by humans: the king crab is the most valuable commercial product that is in demand all over the world! When catching them, preference is given to males with a shell length of more than 13 cm. Females are usually not caught.
Crab claws are an exquisite delicacy. Its right claw, in which the most tender and nutritious meat is concentrated, is especially valuable and tasty. By the way, the meat of this crab is rich in all necessary vitamins, amino acids and minerals: zinc, protein, iodine and other substances render our body invaluable. The shells and entrails of these creatures are processed into useful fertilizer.
These amazing creatures have long established themselves as a delicious marine product, which is the main type of crab in the domestic market. No wonder the king crab is the most famous commercial crustacean in the world.
Caution, poachers!
The extraordinary nature of the king crabs and the high demand for them from consumers provoked the illegal capture of these animals. Poachers do not sleep: on the domestic market there are many crabs of dubious quality. This is poaching products.
Mostly “illegal” crabs come to us from the Barents Sea, and the catch of Far Eastern poachers almost never reaches the European part of our country. All this leads to the fact that crustaceans are massively exported to Japan. Employees of the Rospotrebnadzor do not recommend eating such products, because only God knows what quality such a king crab is.
The price of meat of these animals corresponds to its quality. For example, a kilogram of a king crab knee will cost about 1300 rubles, and a kilogram of the second phalanx will cost about 1700 rubles. For a whole crab, say, weighing 5 kg, you will have to pay about 10,000 rubles. Here is such an expensive pleasure! And it is no coincidence.
As mentioned above, the meat of the king crab is an indispensable source of all the trace elements necessary for our body, vitamins and, of course, minerals. Doctors recommend eating as many dishes prepared from this animal as possible. This helps to increase visual acuity, improve the condition of the body with cardiovascular diseases and anemia.