Sea cockroach

Have you ever tasted a sea cockroach? It tastes like shrimp. It has been tasted several times.

The sea cockroach (Latin name - Saduria entomon) is a species of benthic arthropod belonging to the family Chaetiliidae. It is also called a "shutter". Externally, it is a surprising creature that seems to many people to be very retreating. But, if you know the arthropod, it is clear that this species has a rich history and has its own characteristics.

DESCRIPTION

The length of the largest representative of the species found by humans reaches 10 cm. Such specimens were caught in the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, located between Sweden and Finland. But often sea cockroaches can not boast of such dimensions: most of them have a body length of 5-9 cm. Its color can be beige, sand, gray or light brown, making it easier to mask under bodies of water.

Despite their modest size, sea cockroaches are officially recognized by biologists as the largest crustaceans living in the Baltic Sea. Representatives of the species also have another "achievement": they are correctly called the glacial relics of this region.

Glacial relics - creatures or plants preserved in an area without significant structural changes since the last ice age. This is due to the incorporation of favorable conditions that remain in the soil.

The body shape of a sea cockroach is a very long oval. It covers a protective shell formed of solid chitin. The "outer framework" of the arthropod protects it from many difficulties: for example, mechanical damage and penetration of pathogenic microorganisms. The chitinous cover undoubtedly helped the animal survive unchanged for at least 7000 years. When a sea cockroach grows out of its shell, molting occurs.

The body of the arthropod is formed of many segments, gradually taping to the side of the tail. It has internal and external antennas. At the head of the sea cockroach are gills, eyes and 2 more pairs of sensitive antenna, which are responsible for the sight and touch of the creature, and therefore for the successful orientation in depth, as well as providing nutrition. Antennae help the arthropod find food and identify predators living beneath it, threatening the sea cockroach.

HABITAT

Sea cockroaches, which continue to survive the ice age, prefer to live in cold water. Its traditional habitat is the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea, Arctic Ocean and North Pacific. He also feels extremely well in fresh water: a large number of representatives of species living in European lakes: in Ladoga and the Swedish Veneren and Vettern.

The sea cockroach is an invasive species of the Black Sea, found in its watershed area in 2009.

THE LIFE OF A cockroach in the sea

Sea cockroaches live at a shallow depth (up to 290 m) on the coast. Arthropods spent most of their lives under a reservoir, preferring soil types such as sand, clay, mud, or gravel. The creature swims badly.

This arthropod can be called universal in nutrition: it does not despise the remnants of plants, carrion and food of relatives. But the "calling" of a sea cockroach is predation. Animals hunt for small organisms that live underneath. For example, the ideal prey for this is Monoporeia affinis (vermiform arthropod) and Baltic macomas (Baltic macoma) - a bivalve mollusk with a 2-3 cm shell.

Breeding

Sea cockroaches are characterized by bisexual reproduction. After marrying the male, the female lays eggs in the ground of the reservoir.

When the supply of nutrients contained in the egg ends, a larva emerges from it. The first stage of its development is called "nauplius". It is a small creature whose body is temporarily made up of only two segments. Such larvae are very weak, as the chitinous cover has not yet hardened, so the nauplius are vulnerable to possible damage and enemies. Gradually, new segments form from the side of the tail.

The next stage of development is metanaplus. The trunk larva consists of many segments, and the skeletal protection is stronger. As the metanaplius grows, molting occurs, in which the chitinous shell is replaced with a new, somewhat more capacious. Along with external changes, internal changes also occur.

THE cockroach in the sea and man

Sea cockroaches, although not used in cooking, are theoretically edible, as are their closest relatives - crayons and shrimp. The meat of these arthropods is nutritious: rich in protein, micro, and macro elements. But the unattractive appearance of a sea cockroach drives away many daring gourmets.

The only harm to a cockroach in the sea for humans is the possibility of it entering fish products due to poor quality processing and selection of catches. An arthropod is often found in fishing nets, and it is not always possible to classify it. It does not cause any damage to the quality of the products, as the sea cockroach is safe for human consumption, but its appearance causes unpleasant emotions from achieving.

The sea cockroach is an ancient arthropod that prefers to live in the north. Although it spends life underneath, meetings with someone often occur. The human being is not harmed by the creature, and it is useful as part of the biological diversity of water bodies by participating in the food chain.

Thank you for the time to read my post hope you enjoy it!