This creature of nature has a rather unusual appearance. The shrimp is an aquatic creature, and it's fun to follow their behavior while snorkeling, for example, in tropical waters. If you move the lush algae, these crustaceans start jumping out like grasshoppers.
Shrimp. Definition
This animal has optimally adapted to living conditions in the depths of the sea, which undoubtedly affected its structure. Shrimp - who is this? A crustacean from the order of decapods (there are a total of 250 genera and about 2,000 species). Caridea (as these inhabitants of the seas and oceans are scientifically called) are ubiquitous in the oceans and seas, they are even found in some fresh water reservoirs, the species are most diverse in tropical waters. They are found in abundance in the Black and Azov Seas. To the question "Is a shrimp an animal or not?" - the answer is definitely positive, since all arthropods are representatives of the animal kingdom.
Building
The body, elongated along the length, is slightly flattened on the sides. It is divided into two main segments: abdomen, cephalothorax. The second section makes up half of the entire body. At the beginning of the shell of the cephalothorax there is a pair of eyes that are located in special recesses. The cephalothorax is protected by a chitinous shell, hard and strong, formed from 2 plates and attached to the gills. But the lower part of the shell is soft. The sizes of different species range from 2 to 30 centimeters.
Organs of vision
Shrimp is an unusual animal that has different vision: day and night. Each of her eyes consists of a huge number of facets, and with age their number becomes more and more. Facet segments are separated by pigment spots. And each element perceives those rays that fall perpendicular to the cornea. Such vision can be called mosaic. It is characteristic that at night the pigments diverge to the base of the eyes, and oblique rays can reach the retina: the shrimp sees objects completely, but their outlines are blurred.
Shrimp is a decapod crustacean
Despite the fact that these marine inhabitants are classified as decapods, in fact they have as many as nineteen pairs of limbs. And each is responsible for a specific action. Antennae, for example, are used for touch, and thin and long legs, at the end of which small claws are located, perform a special task - with their help, the animal cleans its body and gills if clogged. Other legs are used for movement along the bottom,they are larger and longer than the others. And the limbs of the abdomen are used when the crustacean has to swim. At the end of the body is a wide, strong fin. It bends sharply, making it possible to move jerkily. When a shrimp stops and sits, for example, on algae, it moves in all directions with its long antennae.
What do they eat
Shrimp is an omnivore. The menu of these aquatic inhabitants consists of plankton, as well as algae, even soil. Usually a huge number of shrimp of some species are found near the fishing nets: they devour the caught fish with such speed that, if the tackle is not reached in time, the fishermen can only get naked skeletons.
Shrimp find their food with the help of the organs of smell and touch. With the loss of antennas or eyes, this time can be significantly increased. In this case, the animal uses the toes of the walking legs and the setae of the appendages of the mouth - they are highly sensitive.
Reproduction
Shrimp are bisexual, but male and female corresponding glands are formed at different times. At the onset of puberty, the individual first becomes a male, and in the third year of its life it is transformed into the opposite, female sex. Females glue their eggs to the hairs of their ventral legs, and then carry their offspring (literally, carry them with them) until the hatched larvae appear from the eggs.
Delicatessen
And these animals are traditionally eaten. Recipes for culinary dishes that include these seafood asingredients, popular with different peoples, mainly living on the coasts. Like many other seafood, these crustaceans are high in protein and calcium, while being low in calories. Shrimp dishes are a good source of "correct" cholesterol and as a food, they are undoubtedly a tasty and he althy delicacy.