Lesson 3 - Types of Seafoods

Report by: Lex Cabrera & Jeremy Feliciano

What is Seafood?
Seafood is an form of sea life regarded as food by humans. Seafood prominently
includes fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of mollusks,
crustaceans, and echinoderms.
Goals and targets for this lesson
● Identify the different types of seafood
● Discuss the types, varieties, market forms, nutritive value, and composition of
fish and seafood
● Explain the quality of fish and shellfish
Different types of seafood
1. Round Fish - This is a fish with a long, cylindrical body, and an eye located
on each side of the head. A backbone runs from the head to tail along the
upper length of the body, just below the dorsal fin. They are found both
freshwater and saltwater.
The different types of roundfishes
a) Catfish - It is a freshwater fish and has
no scales. They are now mostly aqua
farmed and are available all year round.
This fish weighs from 2-5 pounds. The
flesh white with small amount of fat in it
and taste mildly sweet. This fish can be
cooked in almost any style but is best
suited for frying.
b) King fish (Surmai)
- It has a texture somewhat like
Salmon and is extremely tasty. The
flesh is pale white, firm, and sweet. It
is perfect for western dishes where
the natural flavors requires very little
enhancements. It is best baked, fried
or cooked in curries.
c) Mahi-mahi
- Their flesh is off white or light pink
in color. It is sweet in flavor and has
a firm texture. It can be broiled,
baked, or grilled.
d) Red snapper
- They have a lean pink flesh that
becomes white in cooking. They
are sweet in taste and firm and
flaky in texture. The most
commonly found are usually baked
whole due to their pretty color.
e) Salmon
- They come from both northern Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. Salmon is a popularly consumed
fish. It is considered to be healthy fish as it is said
to have high protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and
vitamin D. It is generally orange to red in color.
They get their color from fat-soluble carotenoids
found in the crustaceans on which they feed.
Salmon is made in different ways. Stakes of
salmon are commonly fried and served as special
entree dish in the restaurants. Smoked Salmon is
another popular preparation method, and can be
served either hot or cold. Salmon roe or egg is
also used in Japanese cuisines as delicacy.
f) Striped bass
- The striped bass that we find is
usually the aqua farmed striped
bass and weighs from 1-5 pounds.
Striped bass has a rich, sweet
flavor and has a firm texture. They
are good for frying, baking,and
broiling.
g) Tilapia
- It is typically a name given to
freshwater, aqua farm raised fish.
They are usually 3-5 pounds in
weight. The flesh is lean, white, and
sweet with the firm texture. They
are good for frying, baking, and
broiling.
2. Flat Fish
- A flat fish is has a flat body structures and swims deep down in the sea in a
horizontal position. It has eyes on top of the head.
Different types of flat fishes
a) Butter fish/Pompfret/Pompano -
This fish has no scales and has a
smooth skin. The skin is light gray
in color and the flesh is white, firm
and a has a sweet flavor.
b) Halibut
- This is the largest flat fish and can
weigh up to 300 pounds. They have
lean, firm flesh that is white with a
sweet, mild flavor. You might find
stakes of halibut in the market. This
can be poached, baked, or broiled.
The flesh tends to dry out while
cooking so it is recommended to cook
some sauce that will go with it.
3. Mollusks
- These are shellfishes which have soft meat without any bones but with a hard
outer shell. Some of them have only one shelland most have two shells
covering the body inside it, like in mussels and clams. The squids and
octopus also come under this group and although they do not have an outer
shell they have a single internal shell.
The different types of mollusks
a) Clams - It is a bivalve mollusks,
possessing a symmetrical hinged
shell to protect it from predators
and the elements. Clams are
harvested along the east coasts
and west coasts. They are usually
available all year round, either live
in the shell or fresh shucked (meat
removed from the shell). You can
find clams in meat cans.
b) Mussels
- It is a type of bivalve mollusks that
has an oblong, dark blue, green, or
brown shell. These are found
worldwide and are excellent
steamed or added to soups.
c) Octopus
- Octopus meat is quite tough and
requires moist-heat cooking for a
long time to make it edible. They
are usually sold by pound, fresh or
frozen. The skin of an octopus is
gray when raw and turns purple
when cooked. The interior flesh is
white lean firm and full of flavor.
d) Oysters
- Any of number of bivalve mollusks
with rough irregular shells. Several
kinds are eaten (especially raw) as
a delicacy and may be farmed for
food or pearls. These are best
eaten when slightly steamed with
lemon and butter. They have a
rough gray shell on the outside,
and soft gray flesh inside. The flesh
can also be fried or used in stews
or chowders.
e) Scallops
- A scallop is a mollusk, same as
clams and oysters. They are edible
shellfish found both in bays and
oceans. The edible white muscle of
the scallops is the one which holds
the fan shaped shells on both
sides. Since they die quickly, they
are mostly shucked and cleaned on
the ship where they are caught.
They can be steamed, broiled,
grilled or fried.
f) Squid
- This is commonly known as
calamari. These are typically 8-9
pounds in weight. The squid’s
tentacles, body tube, and fins are
edible. It is lean, slightly sweet,
firm, and tender. Do not overcook
them as they tend to get tough
really quickly and gets too chewy
and loses its flavor. They can be
fried, or cooked in soups.
4) Crustaceans
- These are also form the shellfish family and have outer crust body with other
body parts like legs and claws joined to it.
The different types of crustaceans

a) Crabs - These can be found all

over the world in fresh, frozen, or
canned form. The crab flesh can be
used to make various different
kinds of dishes like crab cakes,
chowders, casseroles, baked
dishes, They can also be boiled
whole with seasoning.
b) Craw/Cray fish
- These are freshwater crustaceans
resembling small lobsters. The craw
fish that can be found in the market
are usually aqua farmed in Louisiana
and Pacific Northwest. They can be
purchased live or cooked or frozen.
Craw fish is a staple food in Cajun
cuisine and is used mostly in popular
dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.
They also taste great when steamed
with some Cajun seasoning.
c) Lobsters
- They have a brown or gray outer shell which
turns red when cooked. The inside meat is
white, firm, rich, and sweet flavored.
Lobsters must be cooked soon after they
are purchased. They will die in freshwater,
so they must be kept in seawater, wrapped
in wet cloth or seaweed and stored in for no
more than a few hours on a bed of ice in the
refrigerator. They are usually poached,
steamed, baked, or grilled and can be
served hot or cold. The edible part of the
lobster meat is in its tail and claws.
d) Shrimps/Prawns
- They are found widely around the world in both fresh and
saltwater. They are widely caught and farmed for
consumption. Preparing shrimp for consumption usually
involves removing the head, shell tail, and vein. To de-shell
a shrimp, the tail is held while gently removing the shell
around the body. The tail can be detached completely at
this point, or left attached for presentation purposes.
Removing the “vein” can be referred as deveining. The
“vein” can be removed by making a shallow cut lengthwise
down the outer curve of the shrimp’s body, allowing the
dark vein to be removed with a knife or a fork. Shrimp and
prawns are versatile ingredients, and are often used as an
accompaniment to fried rice. Common methods of
preparation include baking, boiling, and frying. Even dried
shrimp is commonly used as a flavoring and as a soup
base in Asian and Indian cooking.
Qualities of Fish and Shellfish
Fish and shellfish can be obtained fresh, canned, salted,
pickled,vacuum-packed,or frozen. It is best to purchase only fresh fish and
shellfish. Once killed, fish and shellfish will deteriorate very quickly if not stored
correctly. If you are unsure of the quality of the fish or shellfish, do not use it.
Quality points for fish (whole, fresh, frozen)
1. The eyes should be clear and raised, not sunken.
2. It should not smell of ammonia or have an unpleasant smell.
3. There should be a slime on it and its skin should be moist.
4. Its gills should be bright and pink.
5. It should be firm in texture.
6. lilIt should have no external damage (example: cuts, damage fins)
7. The scales should be firmly attached and shinky.
8. It should be kept at the correct temperature (-18 to 25℃ for frozen, under 5℃
for fresh).
9. If frozen, there should be no evidence of freezer burn.
10. Once thawed, it should have firm flesh.
Quality points for shellfish (alive or frozen)
1. It should be kept at the correct temperature (-18 to 25℃ for frozen, under 5℃
for fresh).
2. There must be no freezer burn on the flesh or skin.
3. Fresh shellfish should be alive.
4. The open of the mussels or clams will close if trapped. If they do not, discard
them.
5. It should have a fresh salty smell.
6. All claws and legs should be intact and not damaged.
7. Live shellfish (example: lobster) should be lively, not limp.
8. There should be not be too many barnacles on the shells.
9. Shellfish should be a good weight in proportion to their size.
Technical Terms
Carotenoids - any of a class of a class yellow to red pigments found especially in
plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria.
Mollusks - Any one of a large group of animals (such as snails and clams) that
have a soft body without a backbone and usually live in a shell.
Gutting - to take out the guts or entrails of.
Casserole - any food, usually a mixture, cooked in such a dish.
Fillets - a boneless cut or slice of meat or fish, especially the beef tenderloin.
Breadcrumbs - bread crumbled into small fragments, as for use in cooking.
Drizzle - to pour in a fine stream.
Thawing - to free from the physical effect of frost or extreme cold.