Shrimp is a staple food that is enjoyed everywhere in the world because it adds to the flavor of many dishes. It goes with practically everything. It can be prepared in many ways, too. You can sauté it, bake it, fry it, boil it, and even grill it. You can also add it to sushi. But there is always going to be a seafood hater around you who points out that you are eating a bug, which might not be what you want to hear.
If you are one of those adventurous eaters, hearing that shrimp are related to a bug won’t turn your stomach. But for those who are not insect consumers, it will leave you wondering if the whole “shrimp are bugs” debate is true. Either way, learning about shrimp and insects and their relationship with one another is interesting. You can end that debate in an instant from now on.
What Are Shrimp?
Shrimp is a type of crustacean that lives in the ocean, but some can live in freshwater, like red cherry and tiger shrimp. They are also classified as shellfish since they have an exoskeleton and are called that by fisheries and fishermen. Shrimp are also modern-day arthropods. These crustaceans also like to be grouped together and do not live a solitary lifestyle. Instead, they will be among their own kind, which makes fishing for them a lot easier.
Insects are also arthropods. However, not all arthropods are insects. In other words, shrimp is like a distant relative of the insect that isn’t cool enough to fit under the ‘insect’ criteria. What’s the primary thing keeping the shrimp from fitting in? They have 10 legs, and insects have six. Things are shockingly specific in science.
Shrimp Diets Similar To Insects Diets
Surprisingly, shrimp and insects have similar diets to one another. Although they don’t eat the same foods, that does not mean that their diets are different from one another. It is assumed that they would have a different diet since insects are land dwellers while shrimp live in water. However, they are still able to attain similar food to one another.
Both species are opportunistic feeders, which means they will eat almost anything they come in contact with. Shrimp are known to have an omnivorous diet since they eat small fish, plankton, and algae. Like insects, some shrimp will eat the necrotic tissue from other fish that they are grooming. Other shellfish are filter feeders, and they eat the sludge and grub floating in the water.
Although they are said to be the cockroaches of the sea, the two do not come from the same family. However, they do have a lot of similarities with one another, like their diet. Cockroaches are also omnivores, so they eat both plants and animals, along with algae, small fish, and plants.
Shrimp Tastes Like Some Insects
Eating insects is the norm for most of the world, except for America. You will find a variety of dishes that have insects in them all over the world because it is a normal ingredient to add to a dish. They are an easy protein to add to a meal since insects are found everywhere.
Shrimp do come from the same phylum (Arthropoda) as insects, which is why they look and taste similar to some insects. However, being from the same phylum does not make them close relatives. The reason that insects taste similar to shellfish is because they are all arthropods. Although insects have an earthy taste instead of a salty or fresh taste, insects like locusts, crickets, cicadas, and pill bugs (rolly pollies).
These insects taste similar, but they have more of a nutty, earthy taste. However, it is important to note that if you have a seafood allergy, then the FDA advises against eating insects, especially cicadas. Cicadas are more closely related to crustaceans.
Similar Anatomy
Shrimp have gills to breathe underwater, while insects do not need that since they live above water. They also have a fused head, a segmented body, more legs than insects, and so on. Despite having some differences in anatomy, the two still share some similarities with each other.
The reason why people are so quick to believe that insects and shellfish are closely related is because of how similar they look to one another. Both have similar body structures. For example, these crustaceans have a hard exoskeleton, have a similar-looking shape to insects, have an antenna, three parts to the body (head, thorax, and abdomen), and jointed appendages.
Both insects and crustaceans also have a mushroom-shaped brain structure that they inherited from their shared ancestor, arthropods. These similarities make insects look like a smaller version of these crustaceans. But looking the same does not mean that they are close relatives.
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