Shellfish

Shellfish, mollusks, the type of invertebrate animals, which includes snails, slugs, oysters, octopus, etc. There are more than 70,000 modern species and a large number of minerals. All shellfish, in principle, bilaterally symmetrical unsegmented body. Most have a sink in adulthood, and the rest - in the embryonic. The wall in the typical case it consists of three layers: a thin outer, konhiolinovogo (periostracum), which is a sink in the main owes its color, medium, prismatic (ostracum), consisting of calcium carbonate crystals, and internal (gipostrakuma) pearl. These layers are deposited skinfold - mantle. Although outwardly the representatives of different groups of mollusks vary greatly, they all share a number of characteristic structures, in particular foot, which the snail uses to crawl, perlovitsa - for burrowing into the bottom, and squid - for catching prey. Clams live in the seas, fresh water and on land. Depending on the symmetries and features of foot, mantle, nervous system and their shells are divided into five classes.Bokonervnye. The name of the class comes from the Greek. amphi - on both sides, and the neuron - a nerve. This marine forms, living mostly on the bottom of the shallow coastal waters. There are about 630 species. A typical representative - the coat. The body is bilaterally symmetrical bokonervnyh, sometimes vermiform, usually with inconspicuous head. Their shell is usually composed of eight transverse calcareous plates that cover the back. They feed on algae and shellfish, these hydroids.
 Gastropods. The name of the class comes from the Greek. gastr - belly, and pous - foot.These mollusks are different asymmetrical body, usually enclosed in a spiral shell, clearly visible head, and a broad flat foot. Well-known representatives of the gastropods, which include about 49,000 species - snails and slugs. In the past, as in some other form, shell rudimentary or absent, sometimes conical, not twisted into a spiral.

Starfish

    These echinoderms are generally flattened body, slowly turning into radial "arms" (5-40), which are called rays. The shape and structural features of the rays are very diverse: from the broad and short, giving the animal a pentagonal shape to long and thin, resembling tentacles. In contrast to the lily, the mouth and ambulacral grooves stars located on the bottom, facing the substrate surface of the body.

    In cases where the stars have the anus, it is like madreporite ambulacral system, is located on the right (dorsal) surface of the body.

     All Stars - mobile organisms moving along the substrate with the ambulacral feet, located in the ambulacral furrows. Like the lily, the stars are not expressed in the anterior-posterior axis and not a "head end". Stars - perfect radial animals.

    Very diverse skeletal plates and spines of stars, sometimes transforming into a special superficial organs - peditsillyarii. Under the microscope you can see that the pedicellariae is a group of several elongated "pits" that work like scissors or pliers. These tweezers stars can clean the surface of the body from a variety of fouling organisms, always willing to settle for such convenient "owners".

     Most of the stars - predators and corpse-eaters are known, and filter-feeders stars. Not rare, and cannibalism. When you capture a major victim of the stomach is able to turn out the stars of the mouth opening outwards and cover the prey.

     The larvae are called stars, and bipinnaria brachiolaria, but there is a star and direct the development, capable of nurturing their own young and care for their offspring. The larvae are able to eat during their development in the plankton, called planktotrophic, not feeding planktonic larvae are called lecithotrophic larvae.

     Who knows about 1500 species of sea stars, most of which are inhabitants of tropical seas.

     In the waters of the Southern Primorye, according to our data, 25 species inhabit the stars. Tell you about the most typical and frequent representatives

Seals

In one of his essays-known enthusiast of nature and a gifted writer and animal painter Gerald Durrell expressed this wish: "If I was not a man, I would like to be a sea lion". Males, which you see in the movies or pictures, really have to own graceful movements, the majestic, but not a fierce kind of large males, kind and gentle eyes of young females, playful games of children. Closer acquaintance with their lives a few dispels this illusion.
  All through the autumn, winter and early spring the northern fur seals is carried out in the open sea, where the catch of cephalopods and fish. They swim and dive admirably and in search of food in the ocean doing a long journey, following temperate and cold regions. With the coming of spring, the instinct of reproduction leads to the shores of the seal islands, where they saw a life. On the small island of seals that are in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, not far from Sakhalin Island, in early May, adult males emerge first, bill hooks. They are chosen on the beach and take it to the sites at a distance of 2-5 meters from each other.
 Each seal fiercely protects the occupied territory from neighbors and newcomers belated males. Between the chopper often have ferocious fights, sometimes resulting in serious injury. Here is a competition not only in strength but also endurance. The fact is that by taking part of the beach, chopper can not leave it until the end of the breeding season. Otherwise, it will take place immediately one of the competitors.
It takes a month, and the island of countless herds of females swim. Males do not like to be disturbed during the breeding season, in addition, they are very picky in choosing the rookeries. Therefore, in the places that they seem appropriate, gather hundreds, sometimes thousands of animals.
 Huge and overweight, overfed males during the winter waiting for the arrival of females on the beach, and everyone tries to get them in his harem.

Moray

Moray is not very attractive. Since it does not want to communicate, even without knowing about its dangers. Their skin is naked, without scales. Head with small eyes and huge mouth, no pectoral and pelvic fins - all of this only reinforces the similarity of these fish to snakes.
 Moray eels are elongated and very sharp teeth. It used to be that they are poisonous, like the teeth of snakes, but now it is proved that it is not. A thick layer of mucus protects the skin from damage, microbes and parasites. Some morays toxic slime from her contact with a person can remain on the skin burns.
 Color masking them, to match their environment. Moreover, even the inside of the mouth they have painted as well. Indeed, almost all the time keeping his mouth open moray eels.
 This fish is quite large, up to 2.4 meters and weighs 45 kg. There are also quite babies who do not grow more than 10 cm Although they are equipped with sharp teeth.
 There are about 100 species of moray eels. Most of them inhabit the tropical and subtropical seas. Sometimes found in European waters. In the Red Sea eels represented by the genera Echidna and Gimnotoraks. By the Echidna are snezhinkovaya moray moray eel, and a zebra, and Gimnotoraksy - a geometric moray eel, starry, belopyatnistaya and elegant. The largest of them - the starry moray eel, its average length is 180 cm
 In the Mediterranean, Mediterranean moray eel lives of up to five feet. That she was the heroine of the terrible legends of antiquity.
 Moray eels - a nocturnal animal. During the day sitting in the crevices of rocks and corals, and at night hunt begins. The victims of moray eels are more small fish, crabs, squid malyuski, and octopuses. There are species that specialize in sea urchins - they can see the shape of the teeth, adapted for cracking shells. Type of moray eels, grasping prey, rather unpleasant. She breaks his victim long teeth on the small side. For a few seconds from a poor fish, moray eel which was caught, nothing remains. Hunting for octopus, moray eel, first driving him into the first crevice. Next morays need only push a crevice in the head. Enough for the octopus tentacles and tears it. And so, while the octopus will not be eaten without a trace.

Medusa

Ancient myths say that once upon a time lived three sisters Gorgon - sphene, Euryale, and Medusa. That's in honor of the latter, and called the animal. The good sisters were just looking at them all living things turned into stone, and no wonder - instead of hair they had serpents stirring. And the rest of the species does not inspire confidence.
 But do not be afraid to look at the jellyfish. In fact, they are very beautiful. Fanciful lanterns, lamps, dishes and umbrellas with tentacles, all translucent, ephemeral, often tinged with tender blue, purple, brown and pink colors. Their slow graceful dance in the water fascinate.
 You can from them and "turn to stone." True, not by sight but by touch. The poison paralyzes the jellyfish inadvertently sailed them fish. But people from the jellyfish goes.
 Jellyfish belong to the class of coelenterates. They are arranged simply - a sort of double-layered bag or hat with a lining. The outer layer of cells is consistent with our skin and the inner layer of cells lining - it's mouth and stomach. However, the mouth - and not your mouth, as the remnants of undigested food through it are also deleted.
 More than just a jellyfish of interest to so-called stinging cells. All jellyfish have them. They look like a capsule filled with poison. Inside the cells twisted into a spiral of long hollow thread that protrudes outside the tiddly sensitive hair. Just touch it, the thread is everted from the capsule and stuck to the victim. As the thread injected poison.
 The man is too big for jellyfish prey, and, in most cases, burn jellyfish are not deadly, but very unpleasant. However, the larger jellyfish of the species, the worse the consequences of meeting her.
 What kind of jellyfish are the same size? Very different - from a pinhead to a six-foot giants. Do you want specific numbers?
 In the Guinness Book of Records is listed tsianeya hairy jellyfish caught in the Northwest Atlantic in 1865. Her hat was 2.28 meters in diameter, and tentacles extended by 36.5 meters. That is, if you stretch the tentacles in all directions, the length of a jellyfish is 75 meters. This is the longest animal on Earth!

Sea Urchin

The body of sea urchins are usually nearly spherical, ranging in size from 2-3 to 30 cm, covered with rows of calcareous plates. The plates are usually connected to motionless and form a dense carapace (shell), not allowing to change the shape of a hedgehog. The shape of the body (and some other features), sea urchins are divided into right and wrong. Have the right body shape urchins almost round, and they are built on strictly a five-way radial symmetry. At irregular urchins flattened body shape, and they are distinguishable front and rear ends of the body. With the shell of sea urchins adjustably connected (via joint capsule with the muscle fibers), needles of various lengths. The length varies from 1-2 mm (sand dollars,) up to 25-30 cm (diademovye hedgehogs). There is a kind of, completely devoid of needles - toksopneustes (whose body is covered with pedicellariae. Needles are often the sea urchins for the movement, nutrition and protection. Some species are poisonous, as are connected with a special poison glands. Venomous species (Asthenosoma, Diadema) are common in mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
 In addition to needles on the surface of the shell of sea urchins sitting pedicellariae, as well as, the mouth opening, the special organs of balance - sferidii. Some species are poisonous pedicellariae of cancer.
 Ambulacral system is common in echinoderms. Each tentacle leg, fitted with a suction cup, passes through a skeletal plate armor with two branches (through 2 pores). Podia the bottom of the sea urchins are used for movement and digging holes. Legs dorsal transformed into organs of touch and breath. In some species the ambulacral feet, along with needles and pedicellariae are actively involved in the process of purification of the shell and nutrition.

Omar

Omar - naybіlshy іz morskih rakіv, Mauger dosyagati 80 cm have lobster potuzhnі kleshnі, scho tsіlkom zdatnі ushkoditi lyudsku hand. Tіlo Tsikh rakіv vkrite a hard shell on hvostі Got vіyalo plastkih solid plates. Cancers usuperech vіdomomu prislіv'yu, peresuvayutsya, zazvichay, head forward. A-axis tіkayut vіd nebezpeki tochnіsnіsіnko yak with prislіv'ї, i did not shvidkіstyu postupayutsya naymotornіshim ribam.
 Lobsters (lobsters) live on the rocky sandy continental shelf in warm and cold ocean waters in the world povsemu. Different kinds of lobsters are very different from each other in size and taste. Initially, different in color, when cooked they become bright red.
 The most valuable are the Atlantic (Norwegian) lobsters - they are small in size (22 cm long), but very tasty. Much more European lobster (up to 90 cm in length and weigh up to 10kg), who lives in the seas surrounding Europe from Norway to the north-west coast of Africa.
 American (North or Manx) lobster up to 1 m and a weight of 20 kg is found along the Atlantic coast of North America from Labrador to North Carolina, as well as bred on special farms. It affects more dimensions than the taste.
 If while traveling in Asia, you will have the opportunity to try the tiny lobsters from the Indian Ocean, do not neglect it - they have a very interesting and full of flavor.Devonian fishermen decided photographed a giant lobster, let him go free. It seemed to him too old and appear to be too tough. Experts believe that, judging by the size lobster could be about a hundred years. The official representative of the Marine Nature Conservation Society (Marine Conservation Society) praised the act of fishing couple. "The old lobster is extremely important for the growth of new generations, as they put more energy into it, when old. And it's better to let them do it. Lobsters as cod, often caught in too large quantities, "- she said. 

Ramps

Ramps are superorders elasmobranch cartilaginous fish, which includes five teams and 15 families. For the characteristic rays fused with the head of the pectoral fins and a rather flat body. Most stingrays live in the seas. Science knows a few freshwater species. From where it was inhabited by the color of the rays of the upper parts of their bodies. The latter may be either black and very bright.
 The size of rays varies from a few centimeters to several meters, a wingspan of some of the rays may be more than two meters (eg, slopes of the family orlyakovyh). Electric rays are endowed with a very specific "weapons." These ramps paralyze their prey with electric discharges.
 Skates can be found in different parts of the globe. They are found even in the coasts of Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean. It is best to observe the same "flying" slope off the coast of Australia.
 Ramps are relatives of sharks. Moreover, the closest relatives. External similarities, of course, is not observed. Internal structure, along with sharks, stingrays are not made of bone and cartilage from. In the old days were like the rays of sharks not only the internal structure, but also by external features. But time has changed them beyond recognition.
 Ramps - ancient fish. One of the oldest fish, as sharks.
 Stingrays have a unique respiratory system. Why is unique, but because all the other fish breathe with gills. However, if the slope tried to do the same, it is with the air sucked in themselves and to the sand, lying on the bottom. That is why breathing is different from the slopes of breathing other fish. Air enters the body through a special chute spiracle. The latter are on the back of this fish. Spiracle also reserved a special valve, but if it happens that the spiracle is still any foreign particle, the slope is released from it by letting a jet of water from the bryzgalets.
 Ramps - is a kind of aquatic butterflies. This analogy is based on how the rays move in the water. They are unique in the fact that the voyage did not use the tail, as do other fish. Rays moved by movements of the fins, while reminding butterflies.

Blue whales

 Blue whales are common in the waters around the world, but limited. Their main habitat - Antarctica and the Arctic. When the water binds the ice, blue giants are forced to migrate to warmer regions. But food is not enough, and blue whales are very lose weight using their fat reserves. Probably the biggest blue whales are the representatives of all whales. The animal body length of up to 33 meters, and weight can reach up to 190 tons. But usually, blue whales have 24metrovuyu body length and weigh 140 tons. It should be noted that females more than males, but very little on. The dorsal fin of a blue whale is small and is closer to the tail. Narrow grudnikovye fins pointed, broad tail. Keith gray-blue, the belly is lighter. Do blue whales are well developed and hearing and vision. Touch just fine. Blue whale teeth do not. On each side of the upper jaw are long rows of animal plates, which are referred to as whalebone. Swallowing tons of water from the crustaceans, the blue whale with language pushes the water through a mustache, and the food remains in the mouth, stuck in those same plates. Language of the whale, by the way, are not small, weighs up to 4 tons, and its thickness is 3 meters. Blue whale feeds on krill, and crustaceans. Dives to a depth of 500 meters, and the surfacing of plankton ingests. Then the whale emerges for the portion of the air, releasing a stream of water into the sky, when you exhale. A beautiful sight. Fountain blue whale reaches 6 to 8 meters in height. In the cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic oxygen and carbon dioxide greater than in the warm waters, and therefore more food for the whale. It is eaten off, adding to its fat reserves. Blue whales communicate with each other by means of sounds, and even know how to sing. Prefer to keep the group up to 4 individuals. Most float one by one.

Turtle green

Turtle soup, or GREEN, widely known in many countries due to its delicious meat and incomparable tortoise soup, which is prepared from it. This turtle larger than the rest of the family. Carapace of adult typically has a length of 80-100 cm, and a particularly large specimens - up to 140 cm Weight: up to 200 large turtles, and in rare cases, even 400 kg. Rounded-oval carapace covered with short large horny plates, the edges of which have never overlap each other. The head is covered with green turtles and large symmetrical shields and front of snout rounded. Her eyes are large, like other marine turtles, with a round pupil and a beautiful lenticular slit eyelid, directed backward and upward. The front flippers are usually available on one claw. Males are easily distinguished from females by a flattened and elongated carapace, and especially - at a fraction of the long tail (20 cm). Painting a green turtle on top of olive-green or dark brown, with yellowish spots, often with white bordering. Venter white or yellowish with dark edges on the fins. When at the beginning of the XVI century. Columbus crossed the Caribbean Sea, the huge flocks of green turtles are literally blocked the path of the ships in the Cayman Islands. Struck by the abundance of these animals, they discovered Columbus named the island Las Tortugas. Title is not stuck in the islands, if not preserved turtle herds destroyed years of fishing. Where once it was difficult to hold the ship through the solid mass of the shell is now difficult to find even one turtle. Like the tortoise Galapagos Islands, green turtles were a reliable source of supply for moreprohodtsev, whalers, buccaneers.The sailors salted and dried their meat or kept turtles alive. No wonder they say that green turtles have played an important role in the successful development of the Caribbean.

White shark

WHITE SHARK who correctly identify the particular karharodon reaches a considerable size - the largest of the modern predatory sharks. Her back and sides are painted in gray, brown or black color, while the belly is dirty white. Most of the measured specimens of this species had a length of 11 m, although, apparently, sometimes there are even larger specimens. Normal size white shark is 5-6 m with a weight of 600-3200 kg. At the same time the shark about 4 m in length have not yet reached puberty. It is interesting to note that even relatively recently (at the end of the Tertiary period), there were white shark (species Carcharodon megalodon), which reached about 30 m in length. In the jaws of a shark could easily accommodate eight people.The modern white shark is solitary and occurs in both open ocean and the coast. This shark is usually kept at the surface, but can drop into the deeper layers of water, one specimen was caught, even at a depth of 1000 m white shark is widely distributed in the warm waters of all oceans, occurring in temperate waters. Its location marked, particularly in the southern Japan Sea, off the coast of Washington State and California on the Pacific coast of the United States and even the island of Newfoundland. For this species is characterized by very large (up to 5 cm in height) and large teeth, which have a triangular shape and coarsely serrated along the edges.A very powerful jaws armed white shark gives the opportunity to put their mining terrible damage and without much effort bite victims bones and cartilage, and a wide mouth and throat of this giant shark can swallow very large pieces. Apparently, the white shark is not particularly picky in choosing the food, although most often in the stomachs of captured specimens were found of other sharks, which he apparently hunted. In this relatively small sharks (sometimes exceeding 2 m in length) tend to be swallowed intact, and the larger ones, such as basking sharks, torn to pieces. The composition of food karharodona also includes a relatively small fish (mackerel, sea perch), tuna, seals, fur seals, sea otters, sea turtles.

Squid

Giant squid or Family arhiteutisy. For a long time, these squid do not fall into the hands of zoologists, but the legends about them, there were many. Since ancient times, people, life and work are closely connected with the sea, believed in the deep sea live in a strange huge creature, not like the other inhabitants of the sea. Some called them polipusami, others - pulps.On the large marine animals, with numerous tentacles armed with suckers, wrote Aristotle. The peoples who inhabited northern Europe, there were legends of the great sea monsters - "Kraken," which attacked the ships. In the mid-nineteenth century, the legend come to life: the French corvette "Alekton" faced with a huge Kraken. In the battle involved the whole team. In the animal was shot, threw harpoons hooks and tried to pull him out of the water. But the harpoons and hooks are not kept in a soft body. Report corvette captain about the incident was read at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences. But the evidence that could convince scientists of the existence of huge monsters, no. Soon, in the 70s., Evidence was obtained. In autumn 1873 two fishermen and a boy were fishing in one of the bays of Newfoundland. After seeing some huge mass floating on the surface, they decided that this shipwreck after shipwreck. One of the fishermen, approaching this mass, struck with a gaff. Suddenly she came alive, reared, and people saw that stumbled upon the Kraken. The long tentacles of the monster wound boat.Kraken's body was sinking, and dragged behind a boat. The boy kept his head and cut off the hands of a monster tomahawk. Kraken released ink staining around the water, and slipped into the depths, had disappeared. Fishermen rushed to the shore. Tentacle was transferred to a local naturalist and X p in th e. So for the first time in the hands of scientists got part of the body hitherto mythical "devil fish", the existence of which were controversial for many centuries. A month later, in the same area the fishermen managed to catch Kraken network. This copy was also handed over to Harvey. The length of the monster was 10 m 70s. the last century were probably detrimental to the Kraken.

Swordfish

 Swordfish - the only modern representative of this family unit okuneobraznyh. Swordfish - one of the fastest fish. One has a top speed lo 130 km / h Flattened and the upper jaw forms a pointed sword, whose length is 1/3 the length of the body. But she had a fish grows to 4.5 m in length and weighs about 400 kg (record - 547kg). On the tail fin of her big crescent-shaped, and the body is bare, it does not have scales.

 Sword-fish, with its delicious meat, is a very important object of oceanic fisheries. Swordfish, like tuna, sea bass, scampi, lobster, turbot and John Dory, cod-liver belongs to the noble class, so to speak. In Italy it is loved and appreciated. After all, swordfish is not only a thin, delicate, noble taste, it has almost no bones, only the central ridge. To feel all the shades of her natural taste, swordfish are often eaten raw. For example, in the form of carpaccio - the finest pink slices of fish laid on the leaves of fresh lettuce, can be supplemented by a light sauce of lemon, tender fish and lemon juice acid will create a good contrast combination. And, of course, olive oil - without it anywhere. Tartare of swordfish - it's the same idea, but another incarnation.
 Swordfish is quite expensive, so housewives often buy instead the cheaper polombo shark of the family. On the palate, they are really close, but no taste, no flavor polombo do not have the generosity that is at swordfish. For the chefs are always better when the fish is more, it is much easier cutting. The optimal size for swordfish - from thirty kilograms or more. Fish less is better not even to buy - it has not gained a taste, not ripe. Swordfish, like branzino and dorado, with age it becomes more tasty. The main sign of freshness - the color of the meat, it should be pink.If it is white - so stale fish. Sword Fish goes well with fresh salads, especially with arugula, as well as baked and boiled potatoes with a sauce based on olive oil and lemon juice, tomatoes, eggplant. Of the spices and herbs - tarragon, oregano, onion Sibul, but they must be fresh. You can use oregano, little ginger and hot peppers, dushevik, dill and parsley. With mushrooms and broccoli, as well as with strong spices and herbs - mint, basil, curry, rosemary, thyme - swordfish is not friendly.