Where do freshwater shrimp live? Real shrimp. The shrimp is a ten-legged crustacean

30.10.2019

According to the classification, the Black Sea shrimp belongs to crustaceans that live in the Black, Azov and Mediterranean Seas. It is not only food for fish and other inhabitants of water bodies. For many centuries this delicious delicacy has been preferred by gourmets and seafood lovers, so its production is gaining an industrial scale.

Shrimps (lat. Caridea) are arthropods from the decapod order of the Crangonidae family. They can live safely in both fresh and sea water, due to which they are widely distributed in all water bodies of the world. The depth of their habitat can reach up to 80 m, which they use to hide from enemies. They also know how to quickly dig into the muddy or sandy bottom when they meet a predator.

Its trunk consists of 3 sections: cephalothorax, abdominal and caudal. Almost the entire body is covered with a shell, consisting of chitin and other minerals. The tail plates are divided into segments, at the end of the body they form a tail fan, which helps to swim and move around.

In the front part there are mustache-antennas, which are the organs of touch and smell. Below them are antennules designed to identify the chemical composition of water and food.

Crustaceans have 5 pairs of legs: the first 3 are for self-defense and food capture, the next 5 are for movement. The remaining 2 legs are located under the abdomen and can be used both for swimming and for females to bear eggs. In males, the first pair in the process of evolution turned into an organ for copulation.

The life span of shrimp is 3-5 years. The main diet consists of plankton, the remains of algae. Large specimens of crustaceans eat larvae and worms, small invertebrates and dead fish.

When females reach 3-4 cm in size, they are ready to breed and can lay eggs. After a few days, small planktonic larvae hatch from the masonry. During maturation, they change their shell several times, each subsequent one being slightly larger and stronger than the previous one. And only after going through 5 molts do they reach the post-larvae stage and can switch to a benthic lifestyle.

Varieties

Several species of crustaceans live in the Black Sea, of which 2 belong to shrimps of the genus Palaemon, which are of commercial importance and are eaten.

These include:

Black Sea herbal (Palaemon adspersus);
Black Sea stone (Palaemon elegans).

Palemon slender or stone, which was named for the necessary habitat. These creatures prefer to live among the accumulation of stones in ridges, gorges and in shallow water covered with dense thickets of algae. In secluded places, such inhabitants live in peace, because. they are well protected from enemies. Here it is possible to find a lot of small plankton, which is their main food.

Stone shrimps can safely live and breed at any salinity of the water, therefore they are also found in the fresher Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The size of an adult individual can reach 8 cm with a mass of up to 8 g.

The herbaceous palemon chose algae-grown near-bottom areas and sandy beaches near Anapa as habitat. The color of the shell has light shades, the body is almost transparent, which allows it to live safely in the shallows. The size of such crustaceans is up to 7 cm.

Shrimps of Azov living in the waters of the Kerch Bay and the Sea of Azov are mostly herbaceous, preferring areas heavily overgrown with aquatic vegetation.

How to catch shrimp?

Shellfish are valuable, nutritious and tasty seafood. They contain many vitamins, acids and minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, iodine, etc.). The useful substances contained in them allow you to stabilize the hormonal background in the human body and increase its immunity. The disadvantage of shrimp meat is its high cholesterol content.

For their taste, they are valued among gourmets and lovers of fishing. Therefore, catching shrimp is carried out both on an industrial scale and by fishing enthusiasts. The latter prefer not only to eat them, but also sell them to local cafes and restaurants.

Shrimp fishing is most often carried out in the evening or at night. It is best to choose sections in the form of inflows for this, because. in places of narrowing of the reservoir it is convenient to install trawls or traps. Caught crustaceans can be used not only for eating, but can be used as your own bait or as bait when fishing.

Many fishermen fish not only in the coastal zone, but also from a boat. And the most ancient method of shrimp fishing was popular in Belgium and was carried out with the help of specially trained horses that pulled shrimp nets.

habitats

To catch crustaceans in large numbers, you need to know exactly where the shrimp live. Their favorite areas are the bottom layers at a depth of 0.6 to 1.5 m, where there are accumulations of seaweed. If there are low tides and high tides in the chosen place, then the exact time of their onset should be known, because. low tide hours are considered the most convenient for fishing.

Equipment and fishing methods

The main tools and methods of shrimp fishing:

A shrimp net (other names are a landing net or a fight), consisting of a metal circle of large diameter (at least 70 cm) or a rectangle (aluminum, etc.), on which a bag up to 3–4 m long made of fine mesh is fixed, and a long strong handles. A load is attached to the bottom of the net, and sticks are attached to the sides, with which you can pull the net along the bottom, going into the water.
Trawls are made of 2 types (mid-depth and bottom), ropes are tied to them in the amount of 4 pieces, designed to be pulled so that the entire device stretches along the bottom of the reservoir behind the person. At the same time, the fisherman stands waist-deep in water and drags the trawl against the current.
A lantern during fishing with a net or trawl is a bait to attract the attention of aquatic inhabitants, as well as additional illumination.

Home-made traps are widespread for catching shrimp in the Black Sea. To make a shrimp, you will need the following materials:

nylon mesh with cell 14 - a piece of 1.5 × 1.5 m;
galvanized rigid wire - 3-4 m;
thin wire in a plastic braid - 0.6 m;
4 m of nylon thread (string);
float (plastic bottle, etc.) and rope.

First, a piece of mesh is taken and sewn together in the form of a large pipe. Another piece of 15×30 cm is similarly sewn along the length to enter the trap. A piece of thin wire is passed through it to create an entrance in the form of a ring. The edges of the wire must be twisted and fixed.

Then the galvanized wire is threaded into the cells in the form of a spiral, which will hold the trap with rings. After 2-3 turns inside and 1 outside, its ends must be fixed at the first and last rings. Then a circle is obtained, then both edges of the large pipe must be sewn to the wire rings using twine.

In the final, a bait should be tied with a rope between the middle rings. The float is also attached to the middle of the shrimp. Black Sea fishermen often use slightly rotten meat as bait.

The simplest shrimp trap is made from a plastic bottle (floater), a weight, and a plant called a tumbleweed or broom. Several bushes must be tied, a sinker should be tied from below, a float from above. The trap should be lowered to a depth of 1 m overnight. Shrimp en masse climb onto wet plants. In the morning, it remains only to shake them out in a substituted bucket. However, such an old-fashioned way is considered poaching and may be fined.

natural enemies in nature

In the wild, most young shrimp die while still in the larval stage, because they are tasty and healthy food for many underwater inhabitants. They are eaten by demersal fish species, seabirds and even some mammals. Very few survive to adulthood.

Restrictions and prohibitions on catching shrimp

In accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, a ban is imposed annually on catching shrimp for the entire summer period. From June 1 to August 31, 1 person is allowed to catch no more than 5 kg of crustaceans. Employees of the fish guard daily carry out raids along the coast of Crimea in order to prevent shrimp fishing.

However, from September 1, the season resumes. The state of shrimp in the Azov and Black Seas, according to experts, is prosperous. Their number is steadily growing, which is of interest to the official fishery and contributes to a rich catch.

Since 2016, these crustaceans have been caught by mining organizations in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea. The caught catch is delivered to restaurants and other catering establishments. The domestic market for shrimp is in high demand due to its rapid reproduction. According to statistics, the annual shrimp catch in the Black and Azov Seas is more than 1.5 tons.

We eat this sea creature, but what do we know about it? Today, we will tell you how to live shrimp in the depths of the sea, where it lives, what species exist and much more.

Shrimp Description

Shrimp- This is a mollusk belonging to decapod crayfish, with a body length of only 10-12 cm (some individuals reach a maximum of 30 cm) with a body weight of 20 grams. Life cycle of a shrimp varies from 1.5 to 6 years.

Did you know that the mollusk is a unique creature? These creatures are able to shed their shell, replacing it with a new one. But the most interesting thing is that the heart of a marine inhabitant and the genitals are located in the head area, where the digestive and urinary organs are also located! Like all crustaceans, and fish, shrimp breathes with the help of gills, which are located next to the walking legs, and are protected by a shell. By the way, no matter how surprising it may be, but in a normal state, the blood of a shrimp is blue! And only from a lack of oxygen, it becomes discolored. These creatures live in almost any body of water in the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctica, concentrating on the regions of the equator.

types of shrimp

Scientists identify more than 2,000 species, which they divided into subspecies:

1. Freshwater

2. Cold water

3. Warm water

4. Saltwater

SHRIMP HABITAT, BREEDING AND NUTRITION

Shrimp habitat

Did you know exactly what shrimp play an important role in the ecosystem of the seas and oceans? These small creatures clean the bottom of reservoirs from various tubifex, fish and aquatic insects. In search of food, the marine inhabitant leads a rather active lifestyle, constantly moving around water bodies. Small cleaners cleanse the body of dead brethren and small algae, sometimes attacking large fish, but only sleeping or sick.

Certainly, every species of shrimp lives in different places. Warm water, for example, live only in the southern oceans and seas, and there are about a hundred species of them. Cold water are found in the Baltic, North Sea, in the Barents Sea, near the coast of Canada and Greenland. By the way, this is one of the most common types of shrimp. You probably already understood that brackish molluscs are inhabitants of salty seas and oceans. freshwater they live in Russia, Australia, in the countries of South and Southeast Asia. Chilean inhabit the South American coasts, the Black, Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, and our favorite king prawns in the Atlantic Ocean.

What do shrimp eat

The basis of nutrition of the mollusk organic matter and endangered aquatic plants. From plants, preference is given to juicy varieties, like ceratopteris. These creatures resemble scavengers who do not disdain to feast on dead molluscs and even juvenile fish. Shrimp there are organs of touch and smell, which perfectly help in finding food - these are kind of antennas on the head. Residents closer to the equator even dig up the ground in search, running along the perimeter until they stumble upon food. Once clam found what he was looking for, he instantly and greedily pounces on food. And only blind specimens of the Black Sea eat silt with their mandibles (jaws), and cold-water ones with pure plankton.

At home, we can add to the diet animal leaves of dandelion and clover, cucumbers, boiled carrots, zucchini, walnuts, chestnuts, cherries.

Shrimp breeding

As soon as the female is ready to lay her eggs, she secretes a yellow-green mass with a specific smell, to which the males flock like bees to honey. As the couple chose each other, they begin mate that lasts no more than a minute. One female can lay 20-30 eggs, which take 10 to 30 days to develop, depending on the environment. During the moment of formation, the shrimp in the caviar changes from 9 to 12 times! First, the legs are formed, and only then the head with all the organs located there. About 10% of young animals die from predators, but in an aquarium you will be able to save 30%. And all because they are not able to get food, eating only the food they get.

VIDEO: ABOUT SHRIMP

IN THIS VIDEO, YOU CAN LEARN HOW SHRIMP IS REALLY GET FROM THE DEEP SEA

For anglers who prefer to go to the sea for their favorite hobby, it has long been no secret that in addition to huge trophy fish, crustaceans are also valuable prey. Shrimp fishing is an exciting and interesting process, and for the most enterprising anglers it is also a profitable business. Without a delicious sea delicacy, it is difficult to imagine a festive table or a menu of a self-respecting restaurant. Even in the treatment of some oncological diseases, shrimp are used, which contain a lot of useful substances and vitamins. How to catch such a miracle of nature, and where does the valuable sea delicacy live?

Shrimps are invertebrate animals that belong to decapod crustaceans. Their length can vary from just a few centimeters to almost half a meter with a body weight of up to a kilogram. In almost all species, females are much larger than males. It is not difficult to distinguish them, because in addition to size, females have a wide tail and slightly swollen sides, while males are flatter.

The shrimp family is large - in nature you can find up to two thousand varieties. Usually they are divided into groups, taking into account the main characteristic - the habitat:

warm water;
cold water;
freshwater;
marine.

Photo 1. King prawns.

Warm water prawns are better known as king prawns. This variety of crustaceans has always been one of the most expensive, because in addition to size (up to 30 cm), they are distinguished by high taste. Often they are bred on special farms, which allows the owners to receive a good income.

Cold-water members of the family prefer medium temperature water and differ from their royal counterparts in size, because they rarely grow up to 10 cm. Freshwater is a special type of shrimp. Due to geological changes in the land, they were isolated from their relatives and are considered relics.

Regardless of where warm-water or cold-water shrimp live, temperature fluctuations can lead to mass mortality of crustaceans. If the habitat is unfavorable, the shrimp larvae also die, sometimes only 1-3% survive. The cold temperature regime is also reflected in the development of the delicacy inhabitants of the sea - they stop growing, become lethargic, and lose activity.

Equally important is the salinity of the water. Some shrimp living in the sea go to look for more comfortable places for breeding. Usually these are reservoirs where sea water mixes with fresh water.

Regardless of where you live, the diet is almost the same:

bloodworms;
pipe makers;
coretra (blood-sucking mosquitoes);
daphnia;
plants with fleshy leaves;
the remains of dead fish, snails;
polychaetes.

Interesting! Reproduction deserves special attention. In a mature female (this happens in the third year of life), greenish mucus forms under the tail - these are the eggs. Sometimes they can make up a third of the total body weight. Males feel the pheromones emitted by the female and enter into fierce fights, fighting for their chosen one. The outcome of the duel does not decide anything - sometimes several males climb onto the female to fertilize the eggs.

Shrimps are the main habitats

Oceans and seas are the main element of shrimp, but they can often be found in salt lakes and even large freshwater rivers. For professional anglers, it is no secret that where these crustaceans live determines their size and even taste. The most valuable are those that are found near the equator itself.

The countries richest in shrimp are located near the equator itself:

Brazil;
Ecuador;
Somalia;
Kenya.

Photo 2. Catching shrimp from a boat.

The water temperature of the Pacific Ocean (about 28 degrees) has a positive effect on growth and development, so for residents of warm countries, growing and catching crustaceans is the main source of income.

Shrimps are also found in the Black Sea, although their number is not as large as in the equatorial strip. There are no royal representatives here, but medium-sized crustaceans are well appreciated by gourmets. The Azov shrimp attracts hundreds of Russian fishermen with its excellent taste, so massive catches are gradually reducing the number of crustaceans in these waters. With a little luck, fishing ends quite satisfactorily, especially if you choose the right gear.

The cold waters of the North or Baltic Sea are the birthplace of cold-water shrimp. They easily tolerate temperatures of about 15 degrees, while managing to multiply and grow rapidly. Representatives of the delicacy family, caught off the coast of Greenland and the Canadian coast, are considered the most delicious.

The Amur River basin and the cave reservoirs of Transcaucasia are the birthplace of freshwater representatives of the family. The shrimp is also found in fresh waters in the Far East, easily withstanding harsh temperature conditions.

How to catch a shrimp - the main tricks for successful fishing

How to catch a shrimp? You should go fishing in the evening or even at night - it is during these hours that crustaceans are most active. Some anglers pre-set net traps for shrimp, which allows you to go in the morning for a delicious "harvest". Habitat - from 50 cm to one and a half meters, the presence of a large number of aquatic plants is mandatory, because this is where crustaceans like to hide.

Photo 3. Good catch.

Fishing is carried out in a variety of ways, but the most commonly used net or bottom trawl for shrimp. The mesh of such gear should be fine, otherwise it will be difficult to catch small representatives of the crustacean family with a net, they will simply slip away through large cells. It is convenient to catch shrimp if the tackle has a long handle and a large circle diameter, this will allow the angler to make less effort and simplify the process.

Shrimp prefer to live in places with a lot of algae. The use of a trawl in such places and a little knowledge about the secrets of successful fishing will please you with a considerable catch. You only need to pull the trawl against the current, if it changes, turn around and move on. During the daytime, the number of gourmet specimens may not please, but if you arm yourself with a powerful flashlight and go fishing at night, then the result will certainly exceed all expectations.

The use of a net is simpler - armed with a simple tackle, you need to bypass the pitfalls, leading around them with a home-made or purchased device. Here, too, you can use a lantern, attracting the curious inhabitants of the sea with bright light.

Important! Black Sea fishermen have come up with an interesting way of fishing. In the morning they are armed with several nets, each of which contains a piece of meat (necessarily with a "smell"). It is enough to use a boat and lower a net into the water near the rocky shores in order to extract it in half an hour with an overflowing delicacy product.

We should not forget about the restrictions on the catch of delicacy crustaceans. During spawning, which lasts from the first summer day to the last, it is better not to tempt fate and give up an exciting activity. Before you go fishing, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the restrictions, because in some reservoirs it is forbidden to catch more than 2-5 kg of shrimp.

Regardless of professionalism, catching shrimp is a pleasant and unforgettable experience, because what could be better than fresh air, gentle sunlight and warm water? Even if the catch did not please, let's just enjoy the process itself, because this is precisely the beauty of fishing.

Fresh shrimp must be properly frozen. The coloring should be even, the icing should be thin, and the tail should be pressed against the abdomen. White spots on the shell or snow flakes in the package mean that the shrimp has been thawed several times. Pay attention to the head of the shrimp, if any. The brown head occurs in pregnant shrimp, their meat is the most delicious and healthy. The green head indicates that the shrimp fed on algae and a special kind of plankton. But the black head speaks of a serious illness, eating such a shrimp is dangerous to health. Black spots on the shell are also unacceptable.

What shrimp most often end up in Russia?

According to , northern red shrimp are most often imported to Russia, followed by northern chilim and red comb shrimp.

By the way, they are red and raw. These shrimp are boiled alive in sea water and immediately frozen after cooking. You can distinguish a boiled shrimp from a raw one by the tail: in a boiled one, it is twisted, and in a raw one, the tail is straight. Market research has shown that northern shrimp are delivered to Russia only boiled-frozen, and such shrimp have a straight tail - a sign that the shrimp was already cooked dead.

An analysis of the frozen shrimp market in Russia highlighted this point: Russian fishermen catch shrimp but ship them to the US, South Korea and Japan, while Russia buys shrimp caught by the Danes and Canadians. This is justified by economic benefits.

Another nuance concerns the size or "caliber" of the shrimp. On the package you can find such numbers - 50/70 (pieces per kilogram), or 70/90 and 90/120. The larger the number, the smaller the shrimp. So, cold-water shrimp are small, and the size of 70/90 is already rare for them. It is better to buy shrimp caliber 90/120, all the others have more ice than meat.

Small shrimp - does not mean bad

The smaller the shrimp, the juicier its meat and the brighter the taste. The data of the shrimp market review should also be taken into account: cold-blooded shrimp are caught in their natural habitat, while warm-blooded shrimp are grown on farms on an industrial scale.

Interesting fact. The so-called "royal" shrimps do not exist in nature. Under this name, all large warm-water shrimp are united, except for tiger shrimp, so named because of the specific color of the shell.

Different countries have their own king prawns - there are white Pacific, Indian, Chinese, Japanese sweet prawns, Atlantic red prawns and even giant freshwater prawns that live in Southeast Asia. But only 20% of the total king prawns are caught in their natural habitat. The remaining 80% comes from farms where shrimp are bred in special ponds.

Where are the "royal prawns" imported to Russia?

According to a study of the frozen shrimp market, large shrimp are brought to Russia from China, India and Bangladesh. Farm shrimp are always larger than wild shrimp, and the manufacturer's packaging must indicate that this is an aquaculture product. They sell frozen king prawns in three types - uncut, with a shell without a head, or completely peeled. By the way, despite the impressive size - 25-30 cm in length, the meat in the king prawn is only 30% of the total weight, the rest is the head.

Tiger prawns - where do they come from?

Mainly farm tiger prawns are supplied to Russia. Black tiger shrimp are brought from India and China, and ordinary ones from Indonesia and Thailand. They differ in color - the common ones have dark stripes on a light shell, while the black ones have the opposite. The size of tiger prawns is even larger than that of king prawns - 30-35 cm, and meat is 50% of the total weight