Shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some are found in freshwater. In addition, a few species of land crabs are eaten, for example "Cardisoma guanhumi" in the Caribbean. Shellfish are among the most common food allergens.

Despite the name, "shellfish" are not fish. Most shellfish are low on the food chain and eat a diet composed primarily of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Many varieties of shellfish, and crustaceans in particular, are actually closely related to insects and arachnids; crustaceans make up one of the main subphyla of the phylum Arthropoda. Molluscs include cephalopods (squids, octopuses, cuttlefish) and bivalves (clams, oysters), as well as gastropods (aquatic species such as whelks and winkles; land species such as snails and slugs).

Molluscs used as a food source by humans include many species of clams, mussels, oysters, winkles, and scallops. Some crustaceans that are commonly eaten are shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, and crabs. Echinoderms are not as frequently harvested for food as molluscs and crustaceans; however, sea urchin roe is quite popular in many parts of the world, where the live delicacy is harder to transport.
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fisheries
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exoskeleton
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aquatic
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invertebrate
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food
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mollusc
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crustacean
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echinoderm
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saltwater
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freshwater
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land crabs
UNK
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Cardisoma guanhumi
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Caribbean
LOC
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food allergens
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fish
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low
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food chain
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phytoplankton
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zooplankton
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crustacean
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insects
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arachnids
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subphyla
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Arthropoda
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Molluscs
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cephalopods
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bivalves
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gastropods
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whelks
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species
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clam
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mussel
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oyster
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winkle
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scallop
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shrimp
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lobster
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crayfish
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crab
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Echinoderm
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sea urchin
Concept
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roe
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Shellfish
Concept
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Shellfish
Concept
natural product of taxon
natural product of taxon
natural product of taxon
natural product of taxon
natural product of taxon
taxon rank
parent taxon
subclass of
parent taxon
parent taxon
parent taxon