The first article Strange crabs
There are many types of crabs, and no less than 800 species have been found in China. They can be seen in rivers, rivers, lakes, seas, and even mountain streams and ditches. Different crabs have different forms and different lives, and we use ecological taxonomy to divide crabs into five categories: walking crabs, swimming crabs, burrowing crabs, hidden crabs and symbiotic crabs. The behavior of crabs is very complex, and the distinction between different taxa is only relative, and there is no absolute boundary.
First, walk the crab
Crab walking can be divided into three types: walking, running and climbing.
1. Walking crab
Walking crabs, such as most fan crabs and a few ecliptic crabs, are usually small, short legs, with a thick shell and stout crab feet. Due to their slow movement, these crabs have difficulty hunting fast-moving prey. However, their large jaws are suitable for handling thick-shelled prey such as shellfish, as well as digging worms and ingesting food such as plants.
It prefers fan crabs that hide in crevices in rocks or under rocks
It is often active at night, hiding in crevices and caverns between ecliptic crabs
2. Crab walking
The fast running crab is most famous for the sand crab (commonly known as sand horse, sand white). They live on the beach and run at speeds of up to five meters per second. They often feed on animals that have been washed up by the waves and dumped on the beach, and even hunt down flies.
Speaking of sand crabs (also called tidal crabs), I have to talk about the beach on the west bank of Red Bay, and at night, especially in the first or fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, a large group of sand crabs look for food on the beach. At this time, we will meet a few friends, bring Wang Xingren, take a flashlight and a bucket, and go barefoot to chase sand crabs. The light of the flashlight shines along the beach, and a large number of sand crabs look at you like that, and as soon as you start running, the sand crabs start to run wildly. Sand crabs can be said to be fast runners on the beach, but they can't run the Wang Xingren and the intelligent humans, because we will cover.
The best sand crab porridge caught, summer nights, chasing crabs to run to sweat, with the booty back to the fisherman's music, handed to the kitchen porridge, after a cold shower, a few friends and then a bowl of hot crab porridge, is really the best enjoyment in the world! Feelings are sublimated here!
During the day, sand crabs hide in sand holes they dig. The only way to catch sand crabs is by digging them. At this time, to catch it, it is not only necessary to rely on experience, but also physical strength.
In Red Bay, eating seafood doesn't have to be bought with money, it's all on the beach, as long as there's experience.
Because of the difficulty of catching sand crabs and the low economic value, the number of original ecology is preserved. However, to eat a meal of raw seafood, you have to work hard! That's what it has to be valuable and tasteful!
The picture above shows a sand crab hiding in a sand cave, which we dug out
Fast-running walking crabs, near-square crabs, phase-handed crabs, large-fronted crabs, twill crabs, and terrestrial and semi-terrestrial crabs such as ground crabs and stream crabs also belong to this group.
They mostly feed on plants and run fast mainly to escape predators. Adapted to fast running, this large crab usually has a thin shell, well-developed eyes and slender legs.
3. Crab climbing
Such as spider crabs, trapezoidal crabs, etc., mainly on the vertical surface of walking, running, so called climbing crabs. Spider crabs are mostly small and scattered in weight, making them ideal for climbing on soft seaweed.
The picture above shows crab climbing
Some species of foot have been specialized into a hook, and when it is hooked on a seaweed branch, the wind and waves can't help it. Trapezoidal crabs have a stronger hook-and-hook ability, and when they grasp coral branches, they can resist attacks from powerful enemies such as octopuses. Under the perceived pull, even pulling off the coral branch cannot remove the crab.
2. Swimming crabs
Many crabs can swim, but the only crab that can really be called a swimming crab is the pike crab. Pike crabs have thin shells, long legs, large eyes, and stout large jaws, and they all live in the ocean, mostly preying on other animals. Their last foot becomes very flat, like a paddle, with a shuttle-shaped body, allowing them to swim quickly in the water, prey and avoid predators, and sometimes even catch fast-moving animals such as fish.
Pictured above is a pike crab
3. Burrowing crabs
There are two types of burrowing crabs, one is just to temporarily dig a pit and bury yourself in it, as a temporary shelter, we turn these crabs into buried crabs, such as frog crabs, dawn crabs, steamed crabs, joanna crabs and so on.
Pictured above is a steamed crab. When the crab is buried, only the eyes and forehead edge are exposed to the surface. They have towering ridged teeth and burrs between them, and they surround the gill lids with large curled crayons to protect breathing and water flow.
Red Bay (Red Bay, formerly known as Shanwei Bay), Red Bay Chalang Peninsula Tourist Area is a peninsula protruding into the sea at the junction of Red Bay and Jieshi Bay, known as "East Guangdong Qilin Cape". Shading peninsula burst into the sea, like a barrier to block the east and west sides of the wind and waves, on both sides of the peninsula no matter where the wind direction, the scene is very different, when one side of the waves rolling, ten thousand horses galloping, at this time this side of the sea water is warm; the other side is calm and calm, a blue, sparkling, then this side of the sea is cold, quite peculiar, shading wave hence the name.
The sea area of Red Bay is rich in steamed crabs, and fishermen can catch steamed crabs all year round, and they can be eaten all year round without affecting meat fat. Whether it's a simple steaming, stir-frying with garlic and ginger shreds, or stir-frying with chili peppers, it's an authentic local specialty. It has always been a dish developed by the original fishermen based on the geographical environment.
Another type of burrowing crab can build a real cave that can be hidden for days or weeks, which we call cave crabs. Most terrestrial or semi-terrestrial crabs such as ground crabs, round-shaft crabs, rectangular crabs, river crabs, thick crabs, large crabs, duan window crabs, etc. belong to this category.
Fourth, hidden crabs
Crabs, with the exception of a few bright colors, are mostly similar to the background color of the environment. Some kinds of body colors can also change with the environment. There are also various pigmentation spots on some species, which can play a role in camouflage. In fan crabs, burr crabs, shell crabs appear a large number of bristles on the tismacet and foot, making them resemble mud masses; the body surface of the crab, the petal crab, and the mature crab are smooth or carved, very similar to cute small pebbles. This mimesis is well suited to their slow crawling life.
Pictured above is a burr crab
Pictured above is a petal crab
5. Symbiotic crabs
Some crabs often symbiotic, symbiorate, or parasitize other animals. The most common symbiotic or symbiotic animals are coelenterates, and sea anemones are often found in the carriers of the crab.
The symbiosis of crabs and anemones is actively coordinated by both sides: crabs stimulate the anemones with the touch and flutter of the claws, and the anemone recognizes the crab's stimulation, actively loosens from the substrate to which it is attached, and then lifts the crab to the back to attach. The crabs have since been protected by sea anemones, which have increased their range of activities, thus obtaining adequate food.