Shellfish

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Shellfish

Shellfish (/ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ/) is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms.

Etymology

The term "shellfish" is derived from the Old English "sceolforfisc", which is a combination of "sceolfor" (shell) and "fisc" (fish).

Types of Shellfish

Shellfish can be categorized into two main types:

  • Molluscs (/ˈmɒləsk/), which include bivalves such as clams, oysters, and mussels; gastropods like snails and slugs; and cephalopods such as octopus and squid.
  • Crustaceans (/krʌˈsteɪʃən/), which include species like crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.

Related Terms

  • Aquaculture (/ˈɑːkwəˌkʌltʃər/): The farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish, and even plants.
  • Mariculture (/ˈmærɪˌkʌltʃər/): A specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean, an enclosed section of the ocean, or in tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater.
  • Pescetarianism (/ˌpɛskəˈtɛəriənɪzəm/): The practice of following a diet that includes fish or other seafood, but not the flesh of other animals.

Health Risks

Shellfish are a common source of food allergies, and people with a shellfish allergy are advised to avoid all types of shellfish. Shellfish can also be a source of food poisoning if they are not properly cooked or if they are harvested from contaminated waters.

External links

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