Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming decapod crustaceans that are classified in the infraorder Caridea. They are found mainly all over the world in both fresh and salt water. Shrimp are commonly caught and farmed for food. There are many unrelated crustaceans that have the word shrimp in their name. Crustaceans such as the mantis shrimp, and the mysid shrimp, but they belong in the Notostraca group.
Shrimp are known from the superficially similar prawns by the structure of the gills and by the fact that the female shrimp brood the eggs on their pleopods, swimming legs. There is, however, much confusion between the two, especially among non-specialists, and many shrimp are called “prawns” and many prawns are called “shrimp”. This is particularly widespread in culinary contexts. In Southeast Asia, the difference between shrimp and prawns is based on size, with larger shrimp being called prawns.
A number of the larger species, including the prawn Penaeus setiferus, are caught commercially and used for food. Recipes using shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures: examples include jambalaya, okonomiyaki, poon choi, bagoong, Kerala and scampi. As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol, from 7 mg to 251 mg per 100 of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation.
Dried shrimp is commonly used as a flavoring and as a soup base in Asian cuisines while fried shrimp is popular in North America. In Europe, shrimp is very popular, forming a necessary ingredient in Spanish paella de marisco, French bouillabaisse, Greek saganaki, Italian cacciucco, Portuguese caldeirada and many other seafood dishes.
Several types of shrimp are kept in home aquaria. Some are purely ornamental, while others are useful in controlling algae and removing debris. Freshwater shrimp commonly available for aquaria include the Japanese marsh shrimp (Caridina multidentata , also called “Amano shrimp,” as their use in aquaria was pioneered by Takashi Amano, and ghost or glass shrimp. Popular saltwater shrimp include the cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis, the fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) and the Harlequin shrimp.