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Seafood

Seafood is described as forms of sea life that humans eat, especially shellfish and fish. There are over 33,000 kinds of fish and even more marine animals and invertebrates. Not all seafood is living, as many types of seaweed and algae are regarded by humans as seafood and do not take on the life cycle of a shellfish or a fish. Watch the YouTube video here.

Types of Seafood

The most popular shellfish to eat are molluscs, which are clams, oysters, octopus, squid and mussels, crustaceans, which are shrimp, lobsters and crabs, and echinoderms which are sea urchins and other small sea animals. The most popular fish are marine pelagic, which are herring, sardines and anchovies; secondly are the marine demersal, which include stingrays and flatfish. The third are the diadromous fish, the salmon and eels and lastly, the freshwater fish, which are catfish, tilapia, bass, trout and carp. However, sea life, such as dolphins and whales, are not considered seafood as they are not eaten by humans.

Benefits of Seafood

People eat seafood all over the world for its high-quality protein value. Portugal, Japan and Iceland eat the most seafood worldwide, yet, UK food standards agencies recommend that only two portions of seafood should be consumed every week. Aside from protein, seafood is rich in Omega-3 oils, which are helpful to humans. Omega-3 oils protect against coronary heart disease and can be found in each cell of the human body contributing to all biological processes. Zinc is found in shellfish and has been believed to be vital to healthy skin and fertility.