In total, there are ten thousand species of crabs (ten-legged 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 is the largest crab in the Black Sea. He prefers to live in those places where it is deeper. Of course, it can also be found near the coast, but only in deserted and deserted places. The Black Sea crab, whose size reaches nine to ten centimeters, does not feed on carrion, like other species, it is strong and aggressive in itself, so it can become a dexterous and fast predator at any moment. In an ambush, a crab can guard small fish, worms, and snails. His pincers are very strong, he clicks them on shellfish shells, as well as hermit crabs, like seeds.
The Black Sea crab has a special type of muscle. At the molecular level, they are quite different from the muscles of humans and animals. interestingthe fact that the color of the shell of a crab always matches the color of the stones in the environment in which it lives. As a rule, it is a red-brown shade, but stone crabs that live among yellow sandstones are very light in themselves. They protect their shelter in the stones, as well as the adjacent territory from other inhabitants. Females carry eggs under the abdomen. They lay 130,000 eggs at one time.
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 numbers were quite impressive. This species was even considered as an industrial one. Now its numbers have declined significantly, it has become an endangered species.
But nevertheless, people are 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 habitat conditions and uncontrolled fishing, because it has good taste.
Hairy crab
The Black Sea hairy crab is very similar to the stone crab, only its size is two times smaller. And the shell of a dark purple color is covered on top with a thick layer of yellow bristles-hairs. The Black Sea crab prefers to live near the coast under stones. Its diet is not very different from that of other crabs. It poses a danger to gastropod mollusks, as it splits their strong shells, aswalnut.
Marble crab
The shell of the marble crab can be colored from dark brown to blue-green, it is mottled with a large number of light stripes that resemble marble. Due to its dark coloration and long limbs, it is sometimes called the spider crab. This is the only Black Sea crab that runs out of the water and travels along coastal rocks 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 when they sense danger, they take off with lightning speed 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 organic matter. They do not disdain even leftovers from the human table. Marble crabs are also few in number and are therefore endangered.
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 really rely on his claws, but instantly runs away. But he runs very quickly, albeit sideways. Its speed reaches up to one meter per second.
Lilac crab, or water-lover
Black Sea crabs are very interesting. Among them there is another remarkable water-loving crab. It is quite slow, you can meet it not only in shallow water, but also at depths up tofifteen meters. The lilac crab loves solitude very much. It can sink into the sand and stay there for weeks without air and food.
Swimming crab
The swimming crab is another digger. 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 on himself. In addition, crabs successfully use these peculiar flippers in the process of swimming.
It should be noted that this is the only species that can swim. All other crabs of the Black Sea cannot do this.
Blue crab
The blue crab is the rarest type of sandy soil. He appeared in the waters of the Black Sea in the sixties of the twentieth century. And he came from the Mediterranean. The ships of the east coast of the United States brought it with ballast water. However, the Black Sea was too cold for them. Young crab cannot survive in these temperatures, so it is extremely rare.
Invisible crab
The invisible crab is an amazing specimen. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to detect among algae. The lean and leggy creature is a true master of disguise.
He plants tiny bushes of algae on his shell and wanders around 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 livingclam. Such crabs can also be found in shallow water in stones, but it is extremely difficult to see them, since an adult individual is placed on a ten-kopeck coin.
Instead of afterword
The Black Sea has become a home for twenty varieties of crabs in those places where the coast is rocky, dense thickets of algae begin right at the water's edge. Many inhabitants of the underwater world, including crabs, live in such places. They also took a fancy to sandbanks.
And the smallest representatives can be found only if you take a bunch of algae and wash them in a basin, only then the pea crab will show itself - the smallest representative of the family and the largest master of disguise.
