CHAPTER XI 



CRUSTACEA IN RELATION TO MAN 



THE Crustacea come into relation with human 

 life in the most obvious and direct way in the 

 case of those species that are used for food. The 

 number of species so used in various parts of the 

 world is very large, almost the only necessary condi- 

 tion being that the species shall be sufficiently large 

 and abundant to make it worth while to fish for it. 



As most of the larger Crustacea belong to the 

 Decapoda, it is this order that supplies practically all 

 the edible species, almost the only exceptions being 

 a few Barnacles which are eaten in various parts 

 of the world. Thus the sessile Barnacle Balanus 

 psittaciis, found on the coasts of Chili, and growing 

 to a length of 9 inches by 2 or 3 inches diameter, is, 

 according to statements quoted by Darwin, *' univer- 

 sally esteemed as a delicious article of food," and the 

 pedunculate Pollicipes cornucopia is used for food on 

 the coasts of Brittany and Spain. 



By far the most valuable of all the edible Crustacea 

 are the European and American Lobsters {Homarus 



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