Shellfish
The term shellfish is generally applied to all invertebrate marine organisms having visible shells. They may be broadly categorizedas crustaceans and mollusks.
The crustaceans include lobsters, crabs, crayfish, and both shrimp and the closely related but larger prawns. The shells consist mainly of a hard, inedible substance called chitin. Crustaceans molt frequently during growth. Blue crabs are eatenwhen molting and soft-shelled. Marine lobsters are eaten when about five years old and have by then molted about 25 times.
With the development of satisfactory freezing techniques in the 1940s, shrimping expanded considerably, becoming a global operation. The United States is a major consumer, importing shrimp, mainly frozen, from more than 60 countries. South Africaand Australia have developed a worldwide market for rock lobster, and Japan and Russia dominate the world market for king crab.
The major mollusks consumed as food are oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, whelks, and snails. The best-known marine snail is the abalone, encountered in many warm waters. This group also includes the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish, popular seafoods in Mediterranean countries and the Far East.obligationtoency.britanica
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