Royal crab: description, reproduction, price

From the zoological point of view, crabs are the same cancers, only short-tailed crabs. Their small head lurks in a special groove under the edge of the shell. According to the shape of their body, all the crabs differ sharply from the rest of their crustacean relatives. The fact is that in adult individuals the abdomen is shortened and bent downward, and if you look at this creation from above, you can only notice its rounded cephalothorax. Like all other representatives of the world of fauna, these creatures have their own hierarchy, which is headed by the so-called royal crab.

King among crabs

The second name of the royal crab is Kamchatka. This is one of the largest crustaceans living in the reservoirs of the Far East. Delicious, tender and nutritious meat made the Kamchatka crab an object of constant fishing, including illegal fishing. 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 deliberately introduced into the Barents Sea.

The Kamchatka crab is a massive and powerful crustacean. Often the width of its shell reaches 26 cm, and in individuals inhabiting the Gulf of Alaska, generally 29 cm! The span of the walking limbs of this creation varies from 1 to 1.5 meters, and the 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 one. It is necessary for the animal to break the shells of the mussels, to destroy the shells of sea urchins , etc. The left claw is necessary for him to crush the food. By the way, this crab feeds exclusively with the help of its left claw.

Where does the king's crab live?

The habitat of this creature is very large and varied. Kamchatka crab can be found in the Okhotsk, Japan and Bering seas. Scientists who observed the vital activity of these crustaceans, came to the conclusion that their greatest concentration is concentrated near the western coast of Kamchatka. It is there that from year to year the main crab industry takes place.

Reproduction of Kamchatka crabs

The royal crab (photo presented in the article) reaches pubertal age by 8-10 years, if, of course, we are talking about males. The females become sexually mature a little earlier. These creatures can be called real travelers: from year to year they repeat the same seasonal route. Winter cold they go underwater 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 reproduction. When autumn comes, they again go to the depths. And so constantly.

It is estimated that one female of the royal crab is able to postpone up to 300 thousand eggs during the breeding season! Like all crayfish crabs, females of these crabs carry eggs on their abdominal legs throughout the year. The nature of the wanderings of these creatures largely depends on fluctuations in the temperature of the water. From the places of their permanent wintering, they move to the shores with shoals: during this period hundreds of thousands of long-legged royal crabs move along the bottom of the sea. Of course, the spectacle is amazing!

It should be noted that during this period the females carry already almost formed larvae. On the way to the treasured shallows the latter hatch from their eggs and proceed to independent swimming in the water column. Their mothers, meanwhile, continue their journey. Unfortunately, many larvae do not live to their "age of majority", because they are a favorite prey of various marine animals.

In general, Kamchatka crabs are slow-growing creatures, while the temperature of water plays a decisive role here. For example, in the warm waters of the American coasts, they grow and develop twice as fast.

Kamchatka crab is a valuable target

The natural life expectancy of Kamchatka crabs is 20 years, but many of them do not live so much. And all because of the constant hunting for them from the side of man: the royal crab is the most valuable commercial product, in demand all over the world! When they are caught, preference is given to males having a shell length of more than 13 cm. The females usually are not caught.

Crab claws are an exquisite delicacy. Especially valuable and tasty is his right claw, in which the most tender and nutritious meat is concentrated. By the way, the meat of this crab is rich in all the necessary vitamins, amino acids and minerals: zinc, protein, iodine and other substances render our body invaluable. The shells and insides of these creatures are processed into a useful fertilizer.

These amazing creatures have long established themselves as a delicacy marine product, which is the main species of crabs in the domestic market. No wonder the royal crab is the most famous commercial crustacean in the world.

Beware, poachers!

The uncommonness of the royal crabs and the high demand for them from the consumers provoked illegal catch of these animals. Poachers do not slumber: in the domestic market there are many crabs of questionable quality. This is poaching.

In general, crabs - "illegal" 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 the crustaceans are mass exported to Japan. Employees of Rospotrebnadzor do not recommend eating such products, because one god knows what the quality of such a royal crab.

The price of meat of these animals corresponds to its quality. For example, a kilogram of the king crab will cost about 1300 rubles, and a kilogram of the second phalanx will cost about 1,700 rubles. For a whole crab, say, weighing 5 kg, you will have to pay about 10 000 rubles. That's such an expensive treat! And it's not accidental.

As already mentioned above, Kamchatka crab meat is an irreplaceable source of all necessary microelements, vitamins and, of course, minerals for our body. Doctors recommend eating as many dishes as possible from this animal. This helps to increase visual acuity, improve the body's state in cardiovascular diseases and anemia.