          
          
          
                               Shellfish
          
               Quite simply, shellfish are animals contained in a 
          shell.  They have no fins, vertebrae or skull.  Their meat 
          is tender because the muscles are soft.
          
               There are two types of shellfish:  mollusks and 
          crustaceans.  Mollusks have a soft body which may be 
          completely or partially enclosed in a shell.  Clams, 
          mussels, scallops, and oysters are some examples of 
          mollusks.  Crustaceans possess segmented, elongated bodies 
          with crustlike shells.  Their eyes are mounted on stalks 
          and their bodies may or may not be symmetrical.  Lobsters, 
          crabs, and shrimp are some representatives of crustaceans.
          
               Since each shellfish has distinguishing 
          characteristics, a brief description of each follows:
          
               Clams -- Clams abound on the Atlantic and Pacific 
          coasts.  Hard, soft, and surf clams are found in the 
          Atlantic.  Butter, littleneck, razor and piso clams are 
          scattered along the floor of the Pacific.  Hard-shelled 
          clams are called "quahog" in New England, where the word 
          "clam" refers to the soft-shelled variety.  In the middle 
          Atlantic states, "clam" means the hard clam.  Clam meat is 
          orange in color and can be used in any recipe which calls 
          for oysters.
          
               Crabs -- There are three common types of crabs.  The 
          blue crab is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.  
          Dungeness crabs inhabit the Pacific.  The king crab lives 
          in the chilly waters off the Alaskan coast.  The stone 
          crabs and the tanner crabs are not as well-known, but are 
          becoming increasingly popular.  A common misconception 
          concerns the soft-shelled crab.  They are not a separate 
          species.  Soft- shelled crabs are blue crabs who have 
          molted and the new shell has not had time to harden.
          
               Lobsters -- Northern lobster is found off the coasts 
          of Maine and Massachusetts, while spiny or rock lobsters 
          pick their way along the Florida and California coasts.  
          Not only do lobsters vary in locale, but in general 
          appearance as well.  Northern lobsters possess pincers 
          while spiny lobsters don't.
          
               Mussels -- Mussels are found in fresh and salt-water, 
          but only salt-water mussels are eaten.  A favorite in 
          Europe, mussels do not enjoy the popularity of the other 
          seafoods in the United States.
          
               Oysters -- There are three types of oysters.  The 
          Eastern oysters are found or cultivated from Massachusetts 
          to Texas along the East and Gulf coasts.  The Pacific and 
          Western, or Olympia, oysters are found or cultivated along 
          the West coast from Washington to Mexico.
          
               Periwinkles -- -Periwinkles are small snails found in 
          fresh and salt-water in Europe and off the Eastern coast of 
          North America.
          
               Prawns -- Prawns are found in temperate and tropical 
          waters.  They resemble and are often mistaken for large 
          shrimp.  Unlike shrimp, however, prawns do not possess a 
          visible vein which requires cleaning.
          
               Scallops -- Scallops differ from other mollusks in 
          that they are active swimmers.  By snapping its shell and 
          spurting out a jet of water the scallop can move about.  
          This novel form of locomotion causes the development of an 
          over-sized muscle called the abductor muscle.  This is the 
          only part of the scallop which is eaten by Americans.
          
               Sea and bay scallops are the most common types.  Sea 
          scallops are taken from the North and Mid-Atlantic waters.  
          They are generally larger than bay scallops which are found 
          in the bays from New England to the Gulf of Mexico.  
          Gaining in popularity in recent years are the calico 
          scallops from Florida and the sea scallops from Alaska.  
          Scallops may be substituted for shrimp in most recipes.
          
               Shrimp -- There are various species of shrimp.  Raw 
          shrimp is distinguished by color.  The common or white 
          shrimp is greenish- gray.  Brown or Brazilian shrimp is 
          brownish-red.  Pink or coral shrimp is pink or coral.  When 
          cooked, however, all shrimp turn pinkish-red in color.    
          Shrimp are caught in the coastal waters of the United 
          States, but the majority come from the Gulf of Mexico.
          
               Like finfish, shellfish are very nutritious.  They are 
          particularly rich in the minerals calcium, phosphorous, 
          iron, copper, magnesium, and iodine.  Although the amounts 
          vary with the type of shellfish, vitamins A., B, and D are 
          usually present.  Shellfish are also a good source of 
          protein.
          
               Unlike finfish, which have varying fat contents, all 
          shellfish are lean and low in salt.  This makes mollusks 
          and crustaceans excellent choices for low calorie and low 
          sodium diets.
          
