The sea cockroach, except for the name, has practically nothing to do with the bug that we are terrified of seeing in our kitchen. Some belong to cockroaches, others to crustaceans. Some live on land, others live in the depths of the sea. True, the sea cockroach is edible, like its land namesake. Of course, not everyone is able to try such an exotic dish, but everyone is interested in seeing how someone else does it.
The truth about the sea cockroach
For those who have no idea what a sea cockroach is, there is an answer from reliable sources. It is a small creature that is grey, sandy, brown or white in color. Usually the color allows him to successfully disguise himself as the environment, hiding from predators, of which, by the way, he has quite a lot.
The sea cockroach belongs to the crustacean subtype. So, its closest relatives are broad-toed crayfish, lobster, crab, shrimp and krill. There are more than 70 species of these crustaceans in the world.
Lifestyle and placeshabitat
Sea cockroaches, like all crustaceans, live at the bottom of the seas and lakes. They feed on plants or small representatives of the animal world found there, as well as small pieces of organic matter. Sea cockroaches do not disdain carrion, and in some cases they can profit from the flesh of their relative. Even being protected by their shell, sea cockroaches often become a delicacy of large fish. Where does the sea cockroach live?
These crustaceans live in the Black, White and B altic Seas. They can be found in the shallow waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. For permanent residence, they prefer moderately s alty water, but, despite the name, they can also exist in the fresh waters of some large lakes.
Why sea cockroaches are found in the waters of lakes in Scandinavia and Russia is not fully known. According to one version, they have remained there since the time when these lakes were still part of the sea. Another says that these crustaceans were able to get out of the sea on their own.
Body structure
The length of an adult varies between 5-10 cm. Crustaceans larger than the sea cockroach have never been seen in the Gulf of Finland. And in the entire B altic Sea, it is considered the largest representative of this subtype of arthropods.
The body of the sea cockroach has an elongated linear shape. It has outer, longer antennae, and shorter inner ones. The eyes are located on the sides of its small head. It has gills for breathing. On the reverse side, the body ends in a narrowedtail.
Carapace and sense organs
The main feature of crustaceans, to which, as already indicated, sea cockroaches belong, is their chitinous shell. The external skeleton serves as a reliable protection for arthropods from mechanical damage that they could easily receive in the conditions of marine life. In addition, he protects his master from various infections that could overcome him.
The shell of a sea cockroach limits the growth of the animal's body. Therefore, until it reaches its maximum size, a kind of “dressing up” repeatedly occurs, in a scientific way - molting. Only between molts is the sea cockroach able to increase the volume of its soft tissues.
In the sea cockroach, as already noted, the eyes are located on the sides of the head. He has well developed eyesight. They sniff, taste and feel crustaceans with the help of sensilla and tactile hairs. Sensilla are special modified areas of the body cover, to which one or more processes of a neuron are attached.
How does reproduction work?
Sea cockroaches reproduce sexually, that is, new organisms are obtained from germ cells. When the embryo feeding on the yolk of the egg comes to the surface, it is a planktonic larva, which is called the nauplius. Initially, his body consists of two segments, and then in the growth zone located in front of the anal segment, new ones are laid.
The scientists call the next stage of development of the larva the metanauplius. In general, to achieve full development, the larva must undergo several molts, during each of which both external and internal transformations occur.
Can I eat sea cockroaches?
Residents of many countries prepare dishes unusual for a Russian person. What people have not tasted: toads, grasshoppers, worms, caterpillars, and larvae. It is known for sure that very nutritious dishes are prepared from ordinary land cockroaches, and many people love crayfish and lobsters. This means that dishes from cockroach crustaceans have their admirers.
For us, such delicacies are unacceptable. To dare to appreciate the taste of these small multi-legged creatures, a Russian person needs to have nerves of steel and great courage. In Russia, the news that has just appeared that someone has caught a sea cockroach in a jar of sprats will immediately circle the entire Internet. And a resident of some African country would have eaten the entire contents of this jar and would not even have thought that something was wrong.
All people are different, but one thing unites them - the ability to think and develop. A great way to do this is to be interested in the world around you. Even if it is not possible to go on a trip to look into the eyes of a sea cockroach, lobster or dolphin, you can get to know them in another way - through informative articles and programs. The natural world is too interesting to ignore.
