is the end of the digestive tube, and can be
gritty with the sand from which the animals
glean bacteria and debris; it’s easily pulled
away from the surrounding muscle. Though
peeled, cooked shrimp are widely available
and convenient, serious shrimp lovers seek
out fresh whole shrimp and cook them in the
shell, rapidly and briefly.
Lobsters and Crayfish Saltwater lobsters
(species of Homarus and Nephrops) and
freshwater crayfish (Astacus, Procambarus,
and others) are generally the largest
crustaceans in their neighborhood. The
American lobster once weighed as much as 40
lb/19 kg, while today it’s typically 1–3
lb/450–1,350 gm. And more than 500 species
of crayfish have evolved in the fresh waters of
isolated rivers and streams, especially in
North America and Australia. Most are
relatively small, but the Australian marrons
and “Murray lobsters” can exceed 10 lb/4.5