Healthy Eating Guidelines

The oysters we eat belong to two genera, Ostrea and Crassotrea, which differ in appearance - Ostrea have round, scallop like shells, while Crassostrea's shells are long and asymmetrical - and in their reproductive habits. Within each genus, there are two... Full Answer

Oysters have rough, fluted shells enclosing a creamy flesh with a delicate briny flavor. Oysters grow wild in estuaries, sounds, and bays, flourishing in conditions varying from brackish water to very salty lagoons. A member of the mollusk family, which... Full Answer

Clams are typically harvested - dug from the sand at low tide or scooped from beds in deeper waters - and sold locally, so the clams available for purchase on the East Coast will be Atlantic clams, while Pacific varieties are sold in the West. On the... Full Answer

One of the big concerns about mollusk consumption is safety. The National Academy of Sciences has issued a federal report on seafood safety that warns, "The major risk of acute disease is associated with the consumption of raw shellfish, particularly... Full Answer

The mollusk family of shellfish includes clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops since all are bivalves, meaning marine species that have two shells of equal size that protect a soft body. Mollusks have a long and venerable history, having been around... Full Answer

Shrimp are second only to canned tuna as the most popular seafood in the U.S. The firm, translucent flesh of raw shrimp sports a variable color palette that can be pink, gray, brownish, or yellow, depending on the variety. Upon cooking, the flesh of... Full Answer

Crustaceans are characterized by segmented bodies and chitinous exoskeletons. They can be divided according to size into two main groups. The larger group includes shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. The smaller group includes species that are either... Full Answer

Tuna has a steak-like firmness and density. It boasts the meatiest flavor and texture of any fish. The most popular varieties of tuna are yellow fin (Thunnus albacares), bluefin (Thunnus thynnus), and albacore (Thunnus alalunga). The blue fin and yellow... Full Answer

Sadly, swordfish have been found to contain the highest levels of mercury found in any of the larger edible fish. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and young children avoid eating swordfish,... Full Answer

Swordfish is the common name of a food and game fish (Xiphias gladius) up to 15 feet long characterized by its distinctive sail-like dorsal fin, and the elongation of its upper jaw bones to form a rigid, sword-like blade, which typically constitutes... Full Answer