53. What other sea life is used for human consumption? 



Fish are only one form of marine life used for food. Two other im- 

 portant sources are shellfish and algae. Shellfish are not fish at all; rather, 

 they are members of two large groups of marine animals— crustaceans 

 and mollusks. Lobsters, crabs, and shrimp are the most popular crusta- 

 ceans on American tables. Spiny lobsters, Alaskan king crabs, and 

 prawns are also harvested for food. Clams, oysters, and scallops are the 

 most commonly eaten mollusks in this country. However, many other 

 mollusks are used in some parts of this country and in other parts of the 

 world. Mussels and cockles are popular in Europe, and squid is popular 

 in Southern Europe and the Orient. Abalone is eaten in the Orient and 

 the Western United States. One noted delicacy of the West Indies is 

 conch salad; conchs are also used in chowder. Still more exotic delica- 

 cies are sea urchins and sea cucumbers; these animals are relatives of 

 starfish. 



Although not popular in this country, sea mammals provide food for 

 many peoples. Whales provide a great deal of meat which is marketed 

 commercially in Japan and the Scandinavian countries. The Eskimo has 

 depended on seals and walruses for food, oil, fur, and leather for 

 centuries. 



Food from the sea is not limited to animal life. Seaweeds have also 

 been used as food for centuries. In Iceland, sol, a red alga, is used as a 

 vegetable during the long winters. Other algae have been boiled and 

 made into puddings. Seaweed is also eaten in the British Isles. The use 

 of seaweed for food is most highly developed in Japan. Nori, a red alga, 

 is cultivated as a crop on nets or bushes set in quiet bays. In the past, 

 Hawaiians have made use of a wide variety of seaweeds, and the most 

 select varieties were grown in special ponds for the nobility. 



Kelp, a brown alga, is the raw material for a gelatin used in many food 

 products. The growing world population, coupled with the shortage of 

 protein foods in underdeveloped areas, has stimulated interest in algae as 

 a source of cheap protein. Flour enriched with protein extracts from 

 algae has been used in baked goods. 



Dawson, E. Yale 



Marine Botany, New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966. 



Hallsson, S. V. 



"The Uses of Seaweeds in Iceland." Proceedings of the Fourth Inter- 

 national Seaweed Symposium, pp. 398-405, 1964. 



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