On Food and Cooking

portion, or cephalothorax, often called the
“head” in shrimp, is the equivalent of our
head and trunk put together. It includes the
mouth, sensing antennae and eyes, five pairs
of manipulating and crawling appendages, and
the main organs of the digestive, circulatory,
respiratory, and reproductive systems. The
rear portion, or abdomen, usually called the
“tail,” is mostly a large, meaty block of
swimming muscle that moves the fin-like
plates at the back end. The major exception to
this body plan is the crab, which seldom
swims; its abdomen is a thin plate folded up
underneath a greatly enlarged cephalothorax.
The most important organ in the
crustacean is what biologists call the midgut
gland or hepatopancreas, and what the rest of
us usually call the “liver.” This is the source
of enzymes that flow into the digestive tube
and break down ingested foods; it’s also the
organ in which fatty materials are absorbed
and stored to provide energy during molting