Seafood

People eat many things from the sea.

We eat fish and shellfish. Shellfish can have hard shells. Some have two shells like clams.

Some sea life has a soft body. This includes octopus and squid.

We also eat plants from the water. These are like sea vegetables.

People have eaten seafood for a long time. It helps people stay strong and healthy.

Seafood is any sea life that people eat.

Many people eat seafood for protein. This helps them stay strong. Some people only eat seafood instead of meat. We call these people pescetarians. People can catch seafood in the wild. This is called fishing. Other people farm seafood in water. This is called aquaculture.

Fish come in many types. Pelagic fish live near the surface. An example is the Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Demersal fish live near the bottom. The American plaice is one type.

Some fish move between sea and fresh water. Salmon are a famous example.

You can also find fish in rivers and lakes. Tilapia is a common freshwater fish.

Shellfish are also very popular. Bivalves have two shells. Clams are a good example.

Gastropods are sea snails with one shell.

Cephalopods have soft bodies and no outer shell. This group includes the octopus.

Crustaceans have hard shells like armor. Shrimp and crabs are in this group.

Seafood is any form of sea life that people eat.

It includes many different things like fish and shellfish. Some people eat seafood to get protein for their bodies. People who eat seafood but no other meat are called pescetarians.

We can get seafood in two main ways. Some people catch it in the wild through fishing. Others grow it in water using a method called aquaculture.

Some seafood is even used as food for other animals or as fertilizer for plants.

There are many different groups of seafood to explore. Fish are animals that use gills to breathe underwater. Pelagic fish live near the surface, like the Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Demersal fish live near the bottom, such as the American plaice.

Some fish, called diadromous fish, travel between the sea and fresh water. Salmon are a famous example of these travelers.

You can also find freshwater fish in lakes or rivers. Tilapia is a very common type of freshwater fish.

Shellfish are another huge part of what people eat. Molluscs have soft bodies and often have shells. Bivalves are molluscs with two shells, like clams or mussels.

Gastropods are sea snails that have just one shell.

Cephalopods are very smart molluscs with no outer shell.

This group includes the octopus and the squid. Crustaceans are different because they have hard shells like armor.

Shrimp and crabs are popular crustaceans that turn pink when cooked.

Humans have been eating seafood for a very long time. Scientists found evidence that humans harvested sea life 165,000 years ago.

In ancient Egypt, fish were a very important food. People there even used special tools to catch them. In ancient Greece, some people thought fishing was a low job. However, an author named Oppian wrote a famous book about sea fishing.

In Rome, certain fish like the goatfish were seen as very fancy. These fish were sometimes even allowed to die slowly at the table.

Today, we use many modern ways to enjoy seafood. We use hatcheries to help grow more fish through farming. We also have better ways to keep seafood fresh and safe. Seafood is used for more than just eating, too. It can be made into fish oil or even medicine. Some seafood is used to make leather for clothes. Even our pets, like cats, often eat seafood for their meals.

Seafood refers to any form of sea life regarded as food by humans.

This category includes a vast range of organisms, most notably fish and various types of shellfish. It also encompasses edible sea plants, such as certain seaweeds and microalgae, which are widely consumed as sea vegetables. For many people, especially those living in coastal regions, seafood serves as a vital source of animal protein. Those who choose to eat seafood but avoid all other types of meat are known as pescetarians. Beyond direct human consumption, seafood plays many roles in global systems. It is used as food for farmed fish and other animals. Some species, like kelp, even serve as fertilizer for plants.

Humans obtain seafood through two primary methods: harvesting and cultivation. Harvesting wild seafood is commonly called fishing or hunting. In contrast, the intentional farming of aquatic life is known as aquaculture. When specifically referring to the farming of fish, the term fish farming is used. Modern aquaculture utilizes hatcheries to manage reproductive cycles. This technology allows for more controlled growth of aquatic species. Improved preservation methods have also emerged to handle the hazards of raw or undercooked seafood. These advancements ensure that seafood remains a safe and reliable food source for a growing population.

Fish are aquatic vertebrates that breathe using gills and lack limbs with digits. They are categorized by where they live and how they move. Pelagic fish live and feed near the surface or within the water column.

This group includes large predators like Atlantic bluefin tuna and smaller forage fish like sardines. Demersal fish live and feed on or near the ocean floor.

Examples include cod and various flatfish. These fish often have white flesh, whereas pelagic fish frequently have red flesh from powerful swimming muscles. Diadromous fish are unique because they migrate between saltwater and freshwater environments.

Salmon are a well-known example of this migratory behavior. Additionally, freshwater fish live in rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Tilapia is a common example of a species often raised in freshwater farms.

Shellfish include several distinct biological groups, such as molluscs and crustaceans. Molluscs are invertebrates characterized by soft bodies. Bivalves, such as oysters and mussels, possess a protective shell made of two hinged parts, or valves.

Gastropods, or sea snails, are univalves with a single-piece shell.

Cephalopods are highly intelligent molluscs like the octopus and squid that lack an external shell.

Crustaceans are invertebrates with segmented bodies protected by hard exoskeletons made of chitin. This armor-like shell must be shed through a process called moulting. Most commercial crustaceans are decapods, meaning they have ten legs. Examples include shrimp, crabs, and lobsters.

When cooked, the shells of many crustaceans turn pink or red.

Archaeological evidence shows that humans have consumed seafood since the Paleolithic period. Findings at Pinnacle Point in South Africa suggest modern humans harvested marine life 165,000 years ago. At the same time, Neanderthals appear to have eaten seafood along the Mediterranean coast. In ancient Egypt, fish were a staple food, and tomb paintings show people using specific tools for fishing. In ancient Greece, the social status of fishing varied. While some viewed it as a low-status job, the author Oppian wrote a major treatise on the subject. Roman culture also featured seafood, with mosaics depicting fishing activities. During the Roman era, the goatfish was considered a luxury because its scales turned bright red when it died out of water.

Throughout history, the availability and price of seafood have changed based on location and wealth. In the Greek islands, seafood was common and often transported inland. In ancient Boeotia, a stone inscription from the 3rd century BCE listed fish prices. The cheapest was likely parrotfish, while Atlantic bluefin tuna cost three times as much. In medieval times, seafood was often seen as a less prestigious alternative to meat. It was frequently eaten on fast days when meat was restricted. Coastal populations relied on it as a mainstay, such as the herring kippers found in North Sea markets. For inland populations in Central Europe, fish was often much more expensive than meat.

Today, the seafood industry produces massive quantities of food for various purposes. In 2010, total production reached very high levels across different species groups. For example, fish production was measured at over 106,000 thousand tonnes. Seafood is also used to create specialized products like fish oil, spirulina tablets, and fish collagen. Some parts, such as chitin, are used for industrial purposes. A small amount of seafood is even used in medicine or to produce leather. Additionally, seafood serves as food for domestic pets like cats and for fish in aquariums. This demonstrates how deeply seafood is integrated into human economy, nutrition, and industry.