Shrimp
True shrimp are small, swimming,
decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both
fresh and salt water.
Encyclopedia
True
shrimp are small, swimming,
decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder
Caridea, found widely around the world in both
fresh and salt water.
Taxonomy
A number of more or less unrelated
crustaceans also have the word "shrimp" in their common name. Examples are the
mantis shrimp and the opposum or
mysid shrimp, both of which belong to the same class as the true shrimp, but constitute two different orders within it, the
Stomatopoda and the
Mysidacea.
Triops longicaudatus or
Triops cancriformis are also popular animals in freshwater aquaria, and are often called shrimp, although they belong instead to the
Notostraca, a quite unrelated group.
Shrimp are distinguished from the superficially similar
prawns by the structure of the
gills, and by the fact that female shrimp brood the eggs on their
pleopods. There is, however, much confusion between the two, especially among non-specialists, and many shrimp are called "prawns" and many prawns are called "shrimp". This is particularly widespread in culinary contexts. In
Southeast Asia, the difference between shrimp and prawns is based on size, with larger shrimp being called prawns .
Shrimp as food
A number of the larger species, including the shrimp
Penaeus setiferus, are caught commercially and used for food. Recipes utilizing shrimp form part of the
cuisine of many cultures: examples include
jambalaya,
okonomiyaki, poon choi,
bagoong, and
scampi.
Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the
shell,
tail, and "sand vein" . Removing the "vein" can be referred to as "deveining", though in fact shrimp do not have any real
veins; they have an
open circulatory system. As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium,
protein and low in
food energy.
Dried shrimp is commonly used in Asian cuisines while fried shrimp is popular in North America.
Shrimp preparation
To deshell the shrimp, first hold onto the tail while gently removing the shell around the body. The tail can be detached completely at this point, or left attached for presentation purposes. The "vein" is then removed by making a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp's body, allowing one to pick out the dark ribbon-like vein with a pointed utensil. Then rinse the shrimp under cold running water. If the tail has been detached, the vein can be pinched at the tail end and pulled out completely with the fingers. Shrimp is best if cooked
very briefly, allowing only enough time for the meat to lose its translucency. It quickly becomes rubbery and unappetizing if overcooked, and the line between cooked and overcooked is very thin.
Bandages
Bandages made of chitosan from the shells of shrimp are marketed by HemCon Medcal Technologies Inc. ; they have been shown to reduce blood loss in comparison to gauze dressings and increase survival . They have been sold to the
United States Army, who have already used the bandages on the battlefields of
Iraq .
Shrimp in aquaria
Several types of shrimp are kept in home
aquaria. Some are purely ornamental, while others are useful in controlling algae and removing debris. Freshwater shrimp commonly available for aquaria include the
Japanese marsh shrimp , and ghost or glass shrimp . Popular saltwater shrimp include the cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis, is an omnivorous [i] shrimp [i] species [i] ...
, the
fire shrimp and the Harlequin shrimp .
See also
References
