Blue cancer: photo, species, where found

Hearing the word "cancer", we first imagine animals that we eat in a snack to beer, without thinking about how much these creatures are interesting by their nature. They sometimes climb high into the mountains, settling in streams and rivers, but they will have to wait long, "until the cancer on the mountain whistles." They can not whistle.

Crayfish can be different: white, green, red. In this article, let's talk about who is a blue cancer (see photo above), in which places it is found and about all the interesting things related to this animal. Many would like to receive an answer to the question of how nature worked on creating the outlandish cancer.

Are there blue crayfish

So why are blue crabs different from others? The color of the shell of these aquatic inhabitants cause genetic mutations. Blue color depends on living conditions and food. This can be seen if the blue crayfish run in another pond and feed those products that their other relatives, after a while they shed and their shell becomes dirty gray.

The dye provides astaxanthin. In the cancer shell, he, in combination with proteins, forms yellow, green, blue, almost black and blue pigments. In its pure form, astaxanthin is a red-orange color. In boiling water, the proteins are folded, the compounds with the colorant decay, the original color remains. An example of this - boiled cancer is always red. In natural conditions, blue-colored cancers are found in the remotest regions of our planet. Their popularity is growing rapidly.

Blue Cancer: Species

There are eight cancers on the territory of the former USSR . These are broad-fingered, thin-fingered or narrow-fingered representatives of this family. Exotic species represent the following breeds:

• Blue Cuban.
• Blue Florida.
• Australian.

In lovers of such exotics, you can meet some species brought from Oceania and Australia. European and Far Eastern representatives of water inhabitants have become widespread. The most valuable is the European wide-branched view of the data of the armored creatures of nature. They are known as the "cancer cervix", which has been successfully used in cooking. Now this species is listed in the Red Book. Species are divided into lake and river. Cultivating crayfish at home, preference is given to lake inhabitants, which are quite large in size and do not fall into hibernation.

Where are crayfish found

Arthropods prefer to stay in clean water. Especially demanding in this regard, river cancer. It lives in small calm rivers, does not neglect fast and deep water, it can be found in brooks, lakes and reservoirs. Especially appreciates the river with a stony bottom, which is for him a refuge.

Most of all, there are cancers in the reservoirs of the Black, Azov and Baltic Seas. This includes rivers that carry their water to the sea from the west. The reservoirs of the eastern side are inhabited by narrow-pointed crayfish. One time only their paths crossed on the Volga. It happened 30 years ago, then the "Asians" ousted the "Europeans".

In aquariums, freshwater and color species are bred, including blue cancers. Tropical species in aquariums can successfully reproduce.

Florida

Florida blue crayfish represent the species of Procambarus. There are other names - Allen Cancer, blue electrician and blue cancer. The habitat in natural conditions is North America, Florida, where a blue electrician meets in lakes, marshes and ponds.

Being in a natural environment, the blue Florida cancer is not blue at all, its shell is brown in such conditions. A type of crayfish with a blue tint was taken to the United States during the hybridization process, after which they spread to other countries.

Blue Australian crawfish

These handsome men come from South Australia, where they live in lakes, swamps and running water. Pretty peace-loving creatures have several names - the Australian river, the blue Australian yabby cancer , that is the destroyer. Freshwater pancilica of this species diversifies the life of the aquarium.

The beauty of a blue yaby just admire it! It strikes its length, which is about 20 cm, not to mention the perfection of the shell. Cancer, like a medieval knight, is encased in a powerful armor. Pincers are huge, powerful, he always puts them in front of him. Moves the blue cancer with a few pairs of legs, guided by their sensitive tendrils.

The most interesting thing is that the ybbi, having beautiful eyesight, learns all his relatives, remembers the places he visited before. He has a habit of digging holes in his spare time, as if to destroy the soil. Hence the name "destroyer".

The courage of the ybby can be envied by seeing the danger, he never hides, but meets the enemy with a counterattack, rising with open claws. Australian cancer prefers to live alone, having arranged a burrow under a stone or driftwood. Hunts at night.

This representative of the crustaceans molts. Discarding the shell, it can become prey for any predator. To prevent this from happening, the cancer sits in its hole until the new carapace becomes firm. Interestingly, the yabby has the ability to regenerate. The lost claw or leg will grow over time. Life expectancy is more than 10 years.

Dwarfish view

Habitat: Mexico, Lake Patzcuaro. In natural conditions, the shell of dwarf crayfish is brownish or yellowish in color. Attractive blue color is the result of painstaking multi-year work of breeders. Cancer dwarf blue Mexican - the smallest of all crayfish, which are contained in the aquarium. The color of the shell is blue with the presence of bright blue "marble" spots.

Males-babies have a length of up to 2.5 cm, the female is slightly smaller. In male pincers lanceolate elongated, this is different from females, in which they are thick and short. Blue cancer calmly looks at the live aquarium algae, does not overeat them. For fish and shrimp does not present a danger, it differs peaceableness. It multiplies easily, bringing offspring four times a year.

Blue Crabs: Content in captivity

Previously, few had crayfish in the aquarium, now they are very successful. This also applies to blue cancers, which is facilitated by their bright coloration and interesting behavior.

The aquarium must be closed, as the crayfish can escape. Water should be below the edge by 5 cm. The volume of the aquarium - not less than 100 liters. For decoration are suitable driftwood, stones, from plants - moss and fern, as well as a variety of plastic pipes, in short, all that is suitable for shelter. If this is not done, the crabs will begin to prepare shelters themselves, tearing holes with the tail and legs.

Particular attention should be paid to lighting the aquarium. In summer, its duration should be at least 12 hours, in winter - about 9 hours. The content of nitrates in water is maintained at a level of not more than 100 mg / l. The water used is perfectly clean with oxygen content. Crayfish of blue color differ in peaceful nature, if they get enough food, other fish and plants will be left alone.

Most often aquarists settle in the aquariums of crayfish "Blue Moon". They are very large, beautiful. The color of the shell is dark blue, of a steel shade, white dots are visible on the pincers. The males have a white spot on the lower part of the claw.

Blue Cuban cancer is also contained in captivity. His color is pure blue, but there are reddish-brown crayfish. Caudal fin and claws quite powerful. In natural conditions, they live in the Cuban reservoirs.

Important points

When aquarium blue crayfish contain several important rules that need to be taken into account:

• Regardless of the size of the aquarium, 200 or 300 liters, it is possible to contain only one pair of heterosexual cancers in it. If you add another few yaby to them, conflicts will begin to arise.
• Pygmy blue cancer needs oxygen. In the case of its lack of water, in natural conditions, it is selected on land. Since the cancer, being in the aquarium, can not get to the surface, in this case it is threatened with death. This must be remembered!
• Water should be changed at least once every 7 days, replacing one quarter of the total.

Can I eat

Just think, cancer is pure meat! Is that possible? Quite possible. These devourers fell from nature received a gift of exceptional purity of the body. They are able to clean not only water, but also the body of lovers to feast on their meat. Do not even ask if you can eat blue crawfish. Residents of all countries appreciate crayfish as a delicacy.

Take, for example, the French. They are the most delicious consider crayfish, even established an industrial production for their cultivation. In countries such as England, Canada and the United States, there are aquarium stores for the marketing of river inhabitants. Switzerland has established a holiday "Day of eating crayfish", the main supplier of which is China.

Not everyone is able to cook properly. Not all traders own this art and feed their customers with cancerous ones with a dull red shell, sometimes even with an unpleasant smell. With this method of cooking, it is not necessary to hope for any fennel. In the old days, the grieving traders were fined, in the taverns the owners themselves monitored the proper process of cooking crayfish.

How to cook crawfish

The main condition for cooked crayfish to be delicious is to cook them alive. Those who fall asleep accumulate poisonous substances that can harm human health. Before sending to the boiling water the shells should be washed properly, it is especially good to clean the place where the legs are attached to the body. Water to change until it becomes quite light, but it is better to conduct such a procedure under running water. After such a bath, cooked crayfish will delight in bright red, as if covered with a varnish, a shell.

Many people consider the signal for the end of boiling redness, which is completely wrong. Everything will depend on the size, because these water inhabitants are small, medium, and there are also large. Cancer should be soaked with broth to become tasty. The approximate cooking time, depending on the size, is as follows:

• Small crabs - 25 minutes.
• The average value is 35 minutes.
• Large cancers - 45-50 minutes.

An important point is how much salt to add to the broth. It should be fairly salty, two tablespoons of water will require one tablespoon of salt. Since the cancer has completely tasteless meat, you should send a sufficient amount of spices to the boiling water, especially dill.

At the end of the crayfish should be left in the broth, which was brewed, infused. This will give the meat a refined taste and tenderness. By the way, in the tail it is the most juicy and appetizing. Store in the refrigerator can be up to two days, no more.

Interesting Facts

On the islands of the tropics live crabs, which are called palm thieves. They pick up the fallen cracked fruit, if there are none, climb with the whole coconut on the palm tree to throw it down and smash it.

The cancer can expose its eyes with the help of stems, which helps it to regulate vision.

In different parts of our planet, up to 30 thousand crayfish live, some of them have adapted to live on land. In the reservoirs of Tasmania you can meet crayfish length of 60 cm and weighing 3-4 kg.

Rachyha is able to put up to 600 eggs under the abdomen. Breeds offspring much longer than river fishes, this process lasts for six months. Appearing in the light, small crawlers immediately hide under the mother's tail. Blue cancers, like all the others like him, are very interesting, and at the same time, they are quite a delicious creation of nature. Before man the main task is to preserve this species of arthropods on Earth.