Shellfish

commercial
mollusks
abalone
clams
cockles
periwinkles
mussels
oysters
scallops
cephalopods
fisheries
I N D E X

Shellfish is a a broad term for various aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms that are used as food. A culinary and fisheries term, rather than taxonomic, the term shellfish is imprecisely defined, with some including only those aquatic invertebrates that have a shell or a shell-like exoskeleton—such as bivalves (clams, oysters), gastropods (snail, abalone), crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and sea urchins—and others including also the shell-less cephalopods (squid, octopus). In addition, although the word is primarily used as a term for marine invertebrate species, freshwater edible invertebrates, such as crayfish and river mussels, are also sometimes grouped with the marine species under the umbrella concept of "shellfish."

Overview

Cooked mussels

Shellfish

Shellfish are aquatic invertebrates that are used for food and typically either have a hard exterior or an exoskeleton, or belong to a group of invertebrates that typically are characterized by such shells. Since almost all shellfish have a hard exterior or exoskeleton, the first part of the word is "shell." The second word fragment "fish," is here used in the archaic sense, to mean an animal that lives its whole life in water. However, these invertebrate animals are not "fish" in the modern sense of the word, and therefore the term finfish or fin fish is sometimes used to distinguish ordinary (vertebrate) fish from shellfish.

The word "shellfish" is used as singular and plural, but the less common plural "shellfishes" is sometimes used when referring to various "types of shellfish" (Festing 1999).

The two most common groups of invertebrates associated with the term shellfish are mollusks and crustaceans. Molluscs commonly used as food include many species of clams, mussels, oysters, winkles, and scallops. Some crustaceans commonly eaten are various species of shrimp, prawn, lobster, crayfish, and crabs.

Echinoderms are not as frequently eaten as mollusks and crustaceans, but the roe of sea urchins is quite popular in many parts of the world, and in Asia, sea cucumbers (echinoderms that have no shell) are gathered as a food item. These are often also considered as shellfish.

Other edible mollusks such as shell-less cephalopods (squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, the later having an internalized shell) and terrestrial snails lacking a shell, such as escargot, are sometimes considered to be "shellfish" and sometimes not.

On occasion, the word shellfish is used to refer only to edible marine molluscs, and then shrimp, crab, or lobster are not included in the category (MDOT 2008).

Shellfish are among the most common food allergens (FAAN 2007).

Cooked mussels

Usage in various cuisines

Raw oysters presented on a plate.

Archaeological finds has shown that humans have been making use of shellfish as a food item for thousands of years. In the present, shellfish dishes are a feature of almost all the cuisines of the world, providing an important source of protein in many cuisines around the world, especially in the countries with coastal areas.

In Japan

Sakura ebi

In the Japanese cuisine, chefs often use shellfish and their roe in different dishes. Sushi (vinegared rice, topped with other ingredients, including shellfish, fish, meat and vegetables), feature both raw and cooked shellfish. Sashimi primarily consis of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste (a type of Japanese horseradish or hot mustard, a spice with extremely strong hot flavor), and thinly-sliced ginger root), and a simple garnish such as shiso (a kitchen herb, member of the mint family) and shredded daikon radish.

In the USA

Boiled Maine Lobster

Scallop sandwich served in San Diego.

Shellfish

A dish of cooked freshwater nerites from the Rajang River, Sarawak, Malaysia

Lobster in particular is a great delicacy in the United States, where families in the Northeast region make them into the centerpiece of a clam bake, usually for special occasions. Lobsters are eaten on much of the East Coast; the American lobster ranges from Newfoundland down to about the Carolinas, but is most often associated with Maine. A typical meal involves boiling the lobster with some slight seasoning and then serving with drawn butter, baked potato, and corn on the cob.

Clamming is done both commercially and recreationally along the Northeast coastline of the US. Various type of clams are incorporated into the cuisine of New England. Notable is the soft-shelled clam, which is eaten fried or steamed, where they are called "steamers." Many types of clams can be used for clam chowder, but quahogs, a hard shelled clam also know as a chowder clam, are often used because the long cooking time softens its tougher meat.

The Chesapeake Bay and Maryland region has generally been associated more with crabs, but in recent years the area has been trying to reduce its catch of blue crabs as wild populations have been depleted. This has not, however, stemmed the demand: Maryland style crabcakes are still a well known treat in crabhouses all over the bay, though the catch now comes from points farther south.

In the Southeast, and particularly the gulf states, shrimping is an important industry. Copious amounts of shrimp are harvested each year in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean to satisfy a national demand for shrimp. Locally, prawns and shrimp are often deep fried; in the Cajun and Creole kitchens of Louisiana, shrimp and prawns are a common addition to traditional recipes like jambalaya and certain stews. Crawdads are a well known and much eaten delicacy here, often boiled in huge pots and heavily spiced.

In many major cities with active fishing ports, raw oyster bars are also a feature of shellfish consumption. When served freshly shucked (opened) and iced, one may find a liquid inside the shell, called the liqueur. This is a primary feature of the raw bar, and should be sampled, if not enjoyed. Some believe that oysters have the properties of an aphrodisiac. "Rocky mountain oysters" is a euphemism for bull testicles, as their appearance and preparation is similar.

Inter-tidal herbivorous shellfish such as mussels and clams can help people reach a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in their diets, instead of the current Western diets. For this reason the eating of shellfish is often encouraged by dietitians.

Religious dietary restrictions

Jewish Kosher Law traditions forbid the eating of shellfish. The book of Leviticus prohibits the consumption of shellfish. Some interpretations of Islamic dietary laws forbid eating shellfish. Seventh-day Adventists do not eat shellfish. A rational basis is the tendency of some shellfish to feed on waste or accumulate toxins or heavy metals in their tissues, or that some of these dishes are consumed raw and spoiled shellfish have the potential to cause shellfish poisoning, and that some people suffer from allergies to shellfish.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

FAAN. 2007.

External links

• BBC Guide to Preparing and Eating Shellfish
• Shellfish News
• Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University
• Shellfish Gallery from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB)
• Shellfish Facts
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections — Freshwater and Marine Image Bank — Shellfish An ongoing digital collection of images related to shellfish.
• Nutrition Facts for Various Shellfish

See also

• Seafood

Credits

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