Species Index

Fish

Anchovy Engraulis spp. Sustainability Order Product Profile: The meat of canned anchovy packed in oil is blush red, a result of the four-month salt-curing process. The meat of unprocessed anchovy is gray; it becomes off-white when cooked. Canned or salted anchovies have a pronounced, salty tang; fresh anchovies have a rich but subtle taste and a soft texture. The skin is edible. While populations are thought to be healthy, there is no current information on the health of Northern anchovy populations. Anchovy fisheries are managed based on annual landings data. Anchovies are high in calcium, iron, niacin, phosphorus, and selenium, but they are also high in cholesterol. The U.S. imports all of the anchovies that Americans eat. Almost all of the anchovies caught in the U.S. are used for bait.	Arctic Char Salvelinus alpinus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Most Arctic char is farmed in land-based, closed systems and so there is a low risk of pollution and habitat effects. Closed systems - particularly recirculating systems - treat their wastewater. There is only a minor risk associated with escapes of farmed artic char to the wild and in some operations only sterile fish are raised and would therefore not be able to breed with wild Arctic char if they did escape. This combination of factors results in a recommendation of best choice. Arctic char has distinctive flavor, somewhere between that of salmon and trout, but closer to trout. The meat is moderately firm but has a finer flake than either salmon or trout. A high fat content keeps it moist. Flesh coloring ranges from deep red to pale pink. The taste is the same, regardless of the meat's color. Arctic char, like other anadromous fish, can have parasites, which are killed by proper freezing or cooking. Other Common Names: Alpine trout, Sea Trout
Barramundi Lates calcarifer Sustainability Order Product Profile: This coastal species is found throughout the Indo-West Pacific, from the Persian Gulf to Southern Japan. The barramundi spends most of its life in rivers, before returning downstream to spawn in estuaries. Barramundi is the most important commercial fish species in Australia. Barramundi come primarily from Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia. Most fish on the U.S. market are likely from Indonesia and the U.S. Barramundi come from wild fisheries and fish farms. Barramundi are farmed in both closed recirculating tanks and open netpens. U.S. barramundi are farmed in closed recirculating tanks, which allow farmers to eliminate fish escapes and minimize disease transfer and pollution. Other Common Names: Giant Sea Perch	Basa Pangasius bocourti; P. hypophthalmus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Basa and swai are species of river catfish farmed extensively in Asia. U.S. farmed catfish is considered a better choice because it’s farmed in a more ecologically responsible manner. Basa is a tasty fish, with a delicate texture and nice white flesh. The fast-flowing waters of the Mekong give the meat a clean, fresh flavor. Tra tends to be coarser and more grainy than true basa. You can tell true basa from tra by appearance. Basa fillets are whiter than tra fillets, which are usually more of a beige color. Tra fillets are also thinner than basa fillets.
Black Cod (Sablefish) Anoplopoma fimbria Sustainability Order Product Profile: The major fishery for sablefish in Alaska uses longlines; the effects of longline gear on bottom habitat are poorly understood. Sablefish are also caught in fisheries that use bottom trawl gear, which are prohibited in certain areas to protect sensitive habitats. Off the west coast, trawl and longlines are equally used to catch sablefish. Generally localized, but some juveniles have been found to migrate over 2,000 miles in 6 or 7 years. Feed on crustaceans, worms and small fishes. Most of the catch is marketed in Japan. Utilized fresh, dried or salted and smoked, can be steamed, pan-fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked. It is a versatile fish! Two populations of sablefish have been identified based on differences in growth rate, size at maturity, and tagging studies. A northern population inhabits Alaska and northern British Columbia waters, and a southern population inhabits southern British Columbia and Washington, Oregon, and California waters, with mixing of both populations occurring off southwest Vancouver Island and northwest Washington. As of 2008, the US North Pacific sablefish fishery of this species has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as well-managed and sustainable. Other Common Names: Black Cod, Butterfish, Skilfish	Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata Sustainability Order Product Profile: Black sea bass has a mild, fresh, somewhat delicate flavor and a tender but firm texture. Uncooked flesh should be sparkling white and translucent, not opaque. The firm, lean meat cooks up snow white. Be careful handling whole fish; a jab from the dorsal-fin spines can be very painful. These fish are notably hardy and hold up well as a live product. They also offer excellent shelf life fresh. It is typically frozen only when demand is low or the market is glutted. Black sea bass, a true sea bass, is commonly caught by both commercial and recreational fishermen, along the entire U.S. Atlantic coast. . The most common methods used to fish for black sea bass in the North Atlantic are trawling, pots and traps, and hook-and-line. There are some environmental concerns associated with trawling and pots and traps, such as habitat destruction and bycatch, especially with trawling.
Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix Sustainability Order Product Profile: The meat of uncooked bluefish ranges from a light putty color to blue-gray with a brownish tinge. It becomes lighter when cooked. A strong flavored, dark strip of meat on the fillet may be removed before cooking. Bluefish has a rich, full flavor and coarse, moist meat with edible skin. The larger the fish, the more pronounced the taste. In the Atlantic Ocean, bluefish population levels are high and overfishing is not occurring. Following a decline of the blue fish stock, management measures implemented in 1990 have been successful in rebuilding stocks. Bluefish are an excellent source of selenium, niacin, and vitamin B12, and a good source of magnesium and potassium. Bluefish is an excellent fish to eat and is marketed mostly fresh or smoked. The United States and Turkey account for the majority of worldwide bluefish catch.	Bluenose Hyperoglyphe antarctica Sustainability Order Product Profile: Bluenose is found on continental slopes and around seamounts in the southern Pacific and Indian oceans, mainly off New Zealand and South Australia. Data on bluenose have only been collected since the 1980s and we still don�t know much about its life history and biology. Little is also known about the health of bluenose populations. Adults live near the ocean bottom and are sometimes caught with deepwater trawls, which damage the seafloor and the corals that live there. On the positive side, however, most of the bluenose available in the U.S. is from the New Zealand hook and line fishery. Other fishes (like grouper, grenadier, and dogfish) are caught as bycatch in some of the fisheries that catch bluenose. The management agencies in Australia and New Zealand are working to reduce this bycatch. Other Common Names: Stoneye, Blue Bream
Bronzini Dicentrarchus labrax Sustainability Order Product Profile: European sea bass meat is pinkish when raw and cooks up opaque white. The finely textured, flaky meat is lean, with a sweet and mild flavor. Many chefs say the wild-caught bass is more flavorful than the farmed product. Raised in farms in Southern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal are a few countries which have large populations of farmed fish. Bronzini as a wild fish manifest demersal behavior, inhabit coastal waters down to about 100m depth but more common in shallow waters. They are found in the littoral zone on various kinds of bottoms on estuaries, lagoons and occasionally rivers. They enter coastal waters and river mouths in summer, but migrate offshore in colder weather and occur in deep water during winter in the northern range. Young fish form school, but adults appear to be less gregarious. Feed chiefly on shrimps and mollusks, also on fishes. Spawn in batches. Spawning takes place in the spring near the British Isles, and earlier in its southern range. Eggs are pelagic. Juveniles feed on invertebrates, taking increasingly more fish with age. Adults piscivorous. Marketed fresh or smoked. Highly sought by sport fishermen. Some wild stocks of the Bronzini, such as The North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee (NESFC) sea bass fishery of this species has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as well-managed and sustainable. Bronzini is an excellent firsh with a stable price that works well fillet or whole. Other Common Names: European Sea Bass, Branzino	Catfish Ameiurus catus: Ictalurus punctatus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Raised in closed, inland ponds using recirculated fresh water and fed a primarily vegetarian diet of soybeans, corn and rice, U.S. farmed catfish is considered to be one of the most sustainable fish species available. Closed, inland ponds dramatically reduce the risk of farmed fish escaping and spreading disease to native wild populations. Their primarily vegetarian diet, with extremely low levels of fishmeal, reduces the number of wild fish caught. Because it's a grain-fed, farmed fish, catfish has a consistently sweet, mild taste. It absorbs other flavors readily. The moist, dense meat is firm and has less flake than the typical whitefish. Fresh catfish meat is white to off-white, sometimes pinkish, with noticeable translucency and iridescence. Cooked meat is opaque and white. Don't buy it if it is reddish or slightly yellow. Uncooked catfish smells almost like raw chicken. As a fresh choice, Profish offers only domestic raised catfish. Other Common Names: Channel Catfish
Chilean Sea Bass Dissostichus eleginoides Sustainability How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Slow-growing fish that breed late in life, Chilean seabass are naturally vulnerable to overfishing. And illegal fishing is rampant, especially in remote Antarctic waters where law enforcement is difficult. Fishing methods cause more problems: Bottom trawling can damage seafloor habitat, and longlining can take a bycatch of endangered albatrosses and other seabirds, which get hooked as they try to snatch bait, then end up drowning. In March 2004, one small fishery for Chilean seabass (South Georgia Patagonian Toothfish Longline Fishery) was certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Chilean Sea Bass has a rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. The moderately oily meat is tender and moist with large, thick flakes. Meat from raw Chilean sea bass is snow white. When cooked, the meat remains white, comparable in appearance to cod. Refreshed fillets should be shiny and resilient. Frozen product shouldn't have freezer burn or discoloration. Chilean Sea bass should have a shiny skin that should be firm to the touch with no yellowing on the belly flip. This fish should be firm and never gelationous.	Cobia Rachycentron canaddum Sustainability Order Product Profile: Cobia population levels have not been estimated in recent years. Management measures for cobia include gear restrictions, a minimum size limit, and a daily possession limit. Cobia is a highly valued seafood species. While they are not caught commercially in large quantities, researchers have raised cobia in captivity and are working to make commercial aquaculture of the species environmentally and economically sustainable. Cobia is currently being farm raised at several locations throughout the world - some in COsta Rico and right here in the Shenandoah valley - it is a great sweet flavored fish that stands up well to sauces and is sometimes known as the Chicken of The Sea. Other Common Names: Sergeantfish, Cabio, Bonita
Cod, Atlantic Gadus morhua Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: The Atlantic cod, is a demersal gadoid species found on both sides of the North Atlantic. In the Northwest Atlantic cod occur from Greenland to North Carolina. In U.S. waters, cod are assessed and managed as two stocks: Gulf of Maine, and Georges Bank and Southward. Both stocks support important commercial and recreational fisheries. Commercial fisheries are conducted year round, primarily with otter trawls and gill nets. Recreational fishing also occurs year round; peak activity occurs during the late summer in the lower Gulf of Maine and during late autumn to early spring from Massachusetts southward. Cod are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of invertebrates and fish species. Growth rates differ between the stocks although each is exploited by the same gear types with similar selection characteristics. Growth of cod in the Gulf of Maine has historically been slower than on Georges Bank, but appears to have increased in recent years. Differences in growth rate by sex have also become less pronounced in both stocks. United States commercial and recreational fisheries for cod are managed under the New England Fishery Management Council's Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). A formal quota sharing agreement was implemented in 2004 between Canada and the U.S. to share the harvest of cod in the transboundary eastern Georges Bank cod management unit. The agreement includes total allowable catch quotas for each country as well as in-season monitoring of the U.S. catch of cod on eastern Georges Bank. The Canadian fishery on Georges Bank is managed under an individual quota system. Total commercial cod landings from the Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine stocks in 2005 were 6,957 mt, a 17% decrease from 8,381 mt in 2004. United States commercial landings in 2005 equaled 6,327 mt, 13% less than in 2004 (7,269 mt). Recreational cod landings totaled 1,585 mt in 2004, a 45% decrease from 2003. Landings from both stocks remain well below the maxima taken during the 1970s and 1980s. The information provided herein reflects the results of the most recent peer-reviewed assessments for the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod stocks. Other Common Names: Rock Cod, Scrod	Cod, Pacific Gadus macrocephalus Sustainability How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Found around the rim of the North Pacific, from the Yellow Sea to the Bering Strait, along the Aleutians, and south to about Los Angeles. Rather rare in the southern part of its range The Pacific cod stock in the GOA has also declined since peaking in the late 1980s. The 2004 exploitable biomass (age 3+) was projected to be 484,000 mt. The 2004 ABC is 62,810 mt. The absolute biomass increased in 2004 compared to recent declines. The Pacific cod stock is exploited by a multiple-gear fishery, principally by trawls and smaller amounts by longlines, jigs, and pots. For trawl fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), cod harvests have been constrained by halibut bycatch limits. Source is Alaska Groundfish management Plan. Other Common Names: Alaska Cod, Grey Cod, Treska
Corvina Isopisthus parvipinnis Sustainability Order Product Profile: Gulf corvina are found only in the northern Gulf of California. This makes them especially vulnerable to overfishing. Indeed, the population has been�and continues to be severely overfished, due, in part, to minimal and ineffective management of the fishery. As a result, fewer and smaller fish are being caught than just a few years ago. Two types of fishing gear used for Gulf corvina gillnets and trawls; which also lead to serious bycatch and habitat effects. Silver grey, darker above. A diffuse black spot at pectoral-fin bases, fins pale to yellowish. Mouth large, strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting. Upper jaw with a pair of large canine-like teeth at tip. Chin without barbel or pores, lower margin of snout with 2 marginal pores. Two widely separated dorsal fins.	Croaker Micropogonius undulatus Product Profile: Raw croaker meat is usually snow white but may have a reddish tint. The cooked meat is white. Croaker is lean and full flavored, with an almost sweet taste. The flesh is firm, similar to that of black drum. The skin is edible.
Cusk Brosme brosme Product Profile: The cusk's flesh is white when raw and becomes an opaque white when cooked. The meat is firmer and chewier than cod. The flavor is mild and sweet much like cod. Other Common Names: Moonfish	Dorade (Bream) Sparus auratus Sustainability Order Product Profile: The rosy-colored raw meat turns white when cooked. Dorade, or farm raised Bream, has a moist flesh with a rich, sweet flavor. The texture is firm but tender. Found in seagrass beds and sandy bottoms as well as in the surf zone commonly to depths of about 30 m, but adults may occur to 150 m depth. A sedentary fish, either solitary or in small aggregations. In spring, they often occur in brackish water coastal lagoons and estuaries. Mainly carnivorous, accessorily herbivorous. Feed on shellfish, including mussels and oysters. One of the most important fishes in saline and hypersaline aquaculture. Utilized fresh and eaten steamed, pan-fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked. Other Common Names: Bream
Dory Zeus faber Order Product Profile: Most of these fish come from the extreme South Pacific. Found in areas close to the sea bed. Generally a solitary that feeds mainly on schooling bony fishes, occasionally on cephalopods and crustaceans. Reproduction takes place at the end of winter and at the start of spring in the northeastern Atlantic, earlier in the Mediterranean. Eggs are pelagic, maturity reached at 4 years. Sold fresh and frozen. Can be steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked. There are two species commonly sold for food - Black oreo dory which has small, thin, cream-colored fillets that turn ivory when cooked. Smooth oreo dory has larger, thicker fillets than black oreo and cooks up whiter. Both dories are at the mild end of the flavor scale, though black oreo dory has a higher oil content than smooth oreo. The texture is firm, especially so with smooth oreo dory. neither fish flakes easily. Other Common Names: St Peter Fish	Dover Sole Solea vulgaris Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Few fish command more respect in the culinary circles than the true Dover sole, which yields thin yet firm fillets that hold together well in many preparations. The raw meat is glistening white and dense and cooks up white. The flavor of the dover sole is mild and sweet. One fan of Dover sole describes the fish as being "more like a meat. It doesn't have the texture of a normal fish." Despite its delicate flavor, it's able to stand up to the heavy sauces favored by European chefs.
Drum Sciaenops ocellatus; Pogonias cromis Order Product Profile: The flesh of small, very flesh red drum has an almost emerald-green tint. Meat of larger red drums is white with a red tint. The raw flesh of black drum is whiter, through that of both species cooks up snow white. Both the red and black drum have a sweet, mild flavor and firm, moist flesh, similar to snapper in texture. Some think the small "puppy" drums are sweeter and flakier than the larger "bulls." Black drum meat is coarser than red drum.	Eel Anguilla rostrata Sustainability Order Product Profile: Eel meat has a very firm texture, high fat content and full, distinctive flavor. The raw flesh is gray but turns white when cooked and has a small flake. Eel is best bought when still alive, or the flesh can be soft. The animals can survive for several days out of the water if kept in a damp environment. Eels harvested from stagnant water or held too long in tanks can have a slightly muddy flavor. Recently Eel stocks have begin to decline. perhaps fromoverfishing or global warming, no one ios quite sure, but uin Europe, where Eel is eaten with significantly more regularity, Eel catch rates are falling dramatically
Escolar lepidocybium flavobrunneum Order Product Profile: Found in Australia, South Africa and both sides of the Central America penisula, our source is principle from Costa Rica, Equdor and Panama. usually a bi-catch from Tuna fishing, escolar is gaining in popularity. Escolar is an oily fish with surprisingly mild flavor. sometimes referred to as the White Tuna, Escolar is are common countries where this fish is landed. escolar are found mainly over the continental slope, down to 200 m and more. Migrates upward at night. Feeds on squid, crustaceans and a wide variety of fishes. Escolar is consumed in several European and Asian countries, as well as in the USA, sometimes raw as sushi or sashimi. It may be sold as "white tuna" - a term also used for the albacore - or as "super white tuna" to distinguish it from the albacore.[1] Escolar is also sold misleadingly as "butterfish", "oilfish" and "Hawaiian butter fish"; in Hawaii and Fiji, it is known as walu. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after receiving complaints about diarrhea associated with escolar consumption, issued a bulletin recommending against import of the fish in the early 1990s. However, the FDA backed away from this recommendation and withdrew the bulletin several years later after deciding the fish was nontoxic and nonlethal Other Common Names: Walu, Oil Fish, Butterfish	Flounder Paralichtys microps: Pseudopleuronectes americanus Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Flounder is known as a flat fish with two eyes on one flat side which is usually camoflagued, while the underbelly is white. Flounder is harvested in larghe quantities along the New England Coast and Gorges Bank where it is managed by both Federal and State Governments. It is also harvested in the State of Alaska where, from a sustainable standpoint, it is plentiful and well managed. Raw flounder ranges from tan to pinkish to snow white, but cooked meat of all species is pure white, lean, boneless and flaky with a mild flavor. Petrale sole, with firm, delicate-tasting flesh, is considered the premier Pacific sole. Pacific Dover, with softer flesh, is a lesser-quality product. Cooked meat of smaller soles and flounders is delicate, while larger species like fluke or dab are firm and meaty. Other Common Names: Yellowtail, Blackback or Winter Flounder or Lemon Sole, Fluke
Grouper Epinephelus morio; Mycteroperca bonaci Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Groupers have a mild but distinct flavor, somewhere between bass and halibut. Red grouper is sweeter and milder than black grouper, and many consider reds the better of the two. Once the skin is removed from the fish, it's hard to tell red and black grouper apart, but black grouper does have firmer meat in the fresh state. The raw meat of both is white and lean with a notable lack of bones. Cooked, the white meat has a very firm texture and heavy flake and remains moist. Other Common Names: Marbled Rockfish, Springer	Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: The haddock, is a commercially-exploited groundfish found in the northwest and northeast Atlantic Ocean. This demersal gadoid species is distributed from Cape May, New Jersey to the Strait of Belle Isle, Newfoundland in the northwest Atlantic where a total of six distinct haddock stocks have been identified. Commercial fishing for haddock occurs year round in U.S. waters. Otter trawl fishing gear produces the majority of haddock landings, while the remainder of the catch is taken with longlines or gill nets. Recreational catches are relatively minor and amount to roughly 1%-2% of commercial catches in recent years. Most of the recreational haddock catch is taken with hook and line gear in the Gulf of Maine region during spring to late-autumn. Haddock are primarily an offshore groundfish and are commonly found at depths of 40 to 150 m. Juvenile haddock tend to occupy shallower water on bank and shoal areas, while large adults are more commonly found in deeper water. Adult haddock undertake seasonal movements in the western Gulf of Maine, the Great South Channel and on the northeast peak of Georges Bank, spending much of winter in deeper waters and moving to shoaler waters in spring to spawn. The U.S. fishery for haddock is managed by the New England Fishery Management Council under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Haddock are jointly managed with a complex of 15 groundfish species under this FMP (NEFMC 2003). Management measures have included fishing area closures, gear restrictions, trip limits, and minimum size limits. Since 1994, direct fishing effort controls have been in place including a moratorium on permits and days-at-sea restrictions under Amendments 5 and 7 to the FMP. Amendment 9 to the FMP established initial biomass rebuilding targets and a harvest control rule to specify target fishing mortality rates. The overall goal of Amendment 13 is to reduce fishing mortality to rebuild depleted groundfish stocks to target biomasses. In addition, a formal quota sharing agreement between Canada and the U.S. was implemented in 2004 to share the harvest of haddock in the transboundary eastern Georges Bank haddock management unit. This agreement includes total allowable catch quotas for each country as well as in-season monitoring of the U.S. catch of haddock on eastern Georges Bank. The Canadian fishery on Georges Bank is managed under an individual quota system. Other Common Names: Scrod Haddock
Halibut Hippoglossus stenolepsis Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Halibut retains its moisture well in frozen state and keeps its texture when cooked. It's a very mild, sweet-tasting, lean fish with fine-grained, dense meat that dries out if overcooked. Uncooked, the white flesh of halibut should be almost translucent, not dull, yellowish or dried out. When cooked, the snow-white meat loses its glossy appearance and is flaky and tender though still firm. It holds together well, and bones are easily spotted.	Herring Clupea harengus Product Profile: Fresh Herring ranges from delicately flavored small fish to larger fish with a fuller, "oilier" flavor. Otherwise, flavor and texture depend on how the herring has been prepared -- whether pickled, smoked or salted. Fresh, whole herring should be bright with hard bellies. Scales are large, loosely attached and cover the entire body. The meat of fresh herring is off-white and soft; sardines range from light to dark brown, with small bones visible; kippers are clear, light meat without bones.
Mackerel Scomber scombrus Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Product Profile: Mackerel has a rich, pronounced flavor. The meat is soft, flaky and moist. The other bands of dark, strong-tasting meat along the midline may be cut out for a milder flavor. The raw fish looks grayish and oily but firms up and becomes off-white to beige when cooked. The skin of fresh fish should have a nice seen, and the eyes should be bright and concave. Small scales cover the entire body and give the skin a velvety texture. The mackerel's distinctive coloring quickly begins to fade after the fish dies.	Mahi-Mahi Coryphaena hippurus Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Mahi-Mahi has a sweet, mildly pronounced flavor similar to swordfish. The lean meat is fairly firm in texture, though not steak-like, and it has large, moist flakes. Darker portions of meat can be trimmed away for milder flavor. The raw flesh is pinkish to grayish-white, though dark along the lateral line. Cooked, the meat becomes off-white. Other Common Names: Dorado, Dolphinfish
Monkfish Lophius americanus Sustainability Order Product Profile: The warty brown skin of the monkfish hides tasty fillets of white meat, and monkfish liver is considered a delicacy in Japan and Europe and is often used in sushi. This bottom fish was at one time discarded when caught accidentally in the Atlantic cod and scallop fisheries. As these other fisheries declined, monkfish began to be marketed as gourmet fare. Monkfish are usually caught using bottom trawls, a method that can damage seafloor habitat and often results in high accidental catch of other species that are then discarded. Monkfish are also caught using gillnets; this can result in the accidental catch and death of sea turtles and marine mammals. Monkfish has a mild, slightly sweet taste. The tail meat, the only part of the fish that is used, is firm, dense and boneless. It doesn't flake readily and is firm like scallop or lobster meat. The raw flesh is off-white to pale gray, covered with a blue-gray membrane; cooked meat is white. With headless monkfish, blood is a sign of a recently caught fish. Dried up or brown-colored blood indicates a fish that's started to age. Other Common Names: Anglerfish, Frogfish, Allmouth	Orange Roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus Order Product Profile: Orange roughy has a mild, delicate flavor and moist, large-flaked meat that holds together well after cooking. Raw orange roughy flesh is pearly white, and it cooks up to an opaque white. The skin side of the fillets often sports a faint, orange-brown band of color. With roughy, the darker the meat, the lower the quality.
Pollock Theragra chalcogramma Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: The Alaska pollock fishery is the largest U.S. fishery, by volume. Annual catches average 2.5 billion pounds. It is caught primarily in trawl nets and has minimal bi-catch. Alaska pollock, also known as walleye pollock or Pacific Tom Cod, is a member of the cod family. Pollock is managed as part of a group of species referred to as groundfish multi-species complex under the Groundfish Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. Management is divided into two regions, Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Alaska pollock stocks also occur in international waters, where no country has sole control. The Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea is responsible for the conservation, management, and optimum utilization of pollock resources in the high seas area of the Bering Sea. The pollock resources in the Convention Area collapsed in the early 1990s. Member states (China, Japan, Korea, Poland, Russia, and the United States) have maintained a moratorium on commercial pollock fishing in the Convention Area since 1993 in an effort to allow the stocks to rebuild. Despite the moratorium, pollock stocks in international areas remain in poor condition. The U.S. continues to promote and support international conservation management where unregulated fishing has historically led to declines in the amount of pollock. Other Common Names: Pacific Tom Cod	Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Order Product Profile: Rainbow trout meat is mild, with a delicate, nut-like flavor. The flesh is tender, flaky and soft. The flesh of rainbow trout is white, pink or orange. When the meat is cooked, it has a delicate flake and the color pales. Trout feed can contain pigments to produce desired flesh colors. The fillets need to be firm, resilient and have a fresh appearance. The skin of the rainbow trout should be dark, shiny and have a slippery feel. Avoid frozen fish that looks dried out or has gray flesh.
Red Mullett Mullus argentinae Order Product Profile: Red Mullet is sold whole and comes froma variety of places around the globe. Spain, Brazil, The Azores are a few of the palces. This fish is small in size, approximately 3 to 6 pieces to the pound, witha length of approximately 6 inches - about the aize of your hand. This fish is mild in flavor and great when served whole. There are many names for this, including goatfish and rouget. Other Common Names: Goatfish	Salmon, Atlantic (Farmed and Wild) Salmo salar Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Wild Atlantic salmon population levels are very low, and commercial fishing for the species is prohibited. Almost all of the Atlantic salmon sold in the United States comes from aquaculture operations. Profish does not sell any wild Atantics, we sell all farm raised Salmon Salar. Salmon aquaculture in the United States meets high environmental and health standards and is involved in improving best practices for aquaculture worldwide. Salmon is famred in Canada, Chile, Norway, Poland, ireland, and france. At Profish our farmed raised Atlantic salmon comes from Chile, Canada or Norway. Given the great taste and nutritional benefits of ocean-farmed salmon and the demand for fresh fish, the number of ocean salmon farms has grown tremendously over the past decade. While many people buy and eat ocean-farmed salmon, many aren't familiar with the processes that go into producing fresh fish year-round. Salmon hatcheries include complex operations such as the gathering of eggs and egg fertilization. It generally takes between 12 to 18 months from when the eggs are fertilized until the juvenile salmon leave the hatchery for the ocean farms. Once the eggs have been fertilized and hatched, the juvenile salmon, or fry, are sorted into tanks where they are closely monitored. Sorting ensures that each fry has plenty of space to grow, and the water is monitored to ensure optimal conditions for growth. Young salmon are grown in freshwater for a period between half a year to over one year. The salmon are then released into net pens in the ocean (typically 100 meters across and 30 feet deep) where they are reared into adulthood. Typically, ocean farms have divers who monitor the cages weekly to repair nets and check on the status of the fish. Strong, thick plastic cages protect the salmon and nets from storms and predators, while also minimizing escapes. Within about 18 months of living in the ocean farms, salmon reach their harvest size. The entire harvesting process is designed to ensure high quality, fresh salmon. Once salmon are harvested at the farms, they're quickly shipped to the processing plant. Distribution centers receive fresh salmon and carefully deliver it to stores and restaurants to ensure freshness. This efficient process of delivering ocean-farmed salmon year-round from the hatchery to the table has contributed to the growing demand for salmon around the world. The flavor of Atlantic salmon is milder than that of the wild salmon species. The meat is moderately firm and oily, though not as fatty as that of the wild chinook, or king, salmon. The flesh color varies, depending on the amount of pigment in the feed, but generally Atlantics' meat is a rich orange or pinkish-orange color. The fatty meat appears almost marbled when raw. Atlantic salmon retains its color when cooked and has a large, moist flake. Some environmental groups fear that farmed raised salmon hurts the native stocks - through escape and through mass in the water. There is evidence both for and against this. Other Common Names: Sebago Salmon, Black Salmon
Salmon, Coho Oncorhynchus kisutch Sustainability Order Product Profile: Coho salmon are an important species for commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing. Recreational anglers target coho salmon in both marine and freshwaters. Coho salmon are a target species of commercial troll fisheries in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They are also harvested in commercial seine and gillnet fisheries and taken by a variety of gear for subsistence and personal use. Coho salmon is one of the main salmon species off the West Coast managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council through the Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Coho runs seasonally and is available during seasons when the product is "running". Other Common Names: Silver	Salmon, King Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Sustainability Order Product Profile: Chinook salmon are an important species for commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing. Recreational anglers target Chinook salmon in both marine and freshwaters. Chinook salmon are a target species of commercial troll fisheries in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They are also harvested in commercial seine and gillnet fisheries, both as incidental bycatch in fisheries directed at other species of salmon and in directed fisheries on healthy stocks. Chinook salmon are taken by a variety of gear for subsistence and personal use. Fishing gear for salmon has little or no direct impact on fish habitat; however, lost net gear can pose an entanglement risk to marine animals. Stock abundance of Chinook salmon in many areas of the Pacific Northwest and California has been negatively affected by degradation of the upland habitat where salmon spawn and rear. Human effects on salmon habitat come from urbanization, hydropower development, agriculture, and other developments that impact water quantity or quality and the physical characteristics of watersheds. In April 2007, NOAA Northwest Fishery Science Center and University of Washington scientists published a study showing how global warming could result in a 20 to 40 percent decline in Chinook salmon populations by 2050 in the Snohomish River Basin. Also, they found that habitat deterioration associated with climate change is likely to make salmon recovery more difficult in the Pacific Northwest, especially in relatively pristine, higher elevation river basins. Other Common Names: Chinook
Salmon, Sockeye Oncorhynchus nerka Sustainability Order Product Profile: Sockeye salmon is primarily caught with nets, with some hook and line (trolling) as well. These fisheries generally operate in the water column with minimal impact on the bottom or other habitat. There is currently no commercial aquaculture production of sockeye salmon in the U.S. However, while most sockeye salmon production results from the spawning of wild populations, some runs are developed or enhanced through human effort. Although artificial propagation of sockeye salmon is difficult, notable success has been achieved at several hatchery facilities in Alaska. Fish ladders, lake fertilization, and other enhancements have helped with the productivity of wild returns. Sockeye salmon can be distinguished from Chinook, coho, and pink salmon by the lack of large, black spots and from chum salmon by the number and shape of gill rakers on the first gill arch. Sockeye salmon have 28 to 40 long, slender, rough or serrated closely set rakers on the first gill arch, while chum salmon have 19 to 26 short, stout, smooth rakers. Immature and prespawning sockeye salmon are metallic green-blue on the back and top of the head, iridescent silver on the sides, and white or silvery on the belly. Some fine black speckling may occur on the back, but large spots are absent.	Shad Alosa sapissima; Alosa medicoris Sustainability Order Product Profile: Shad is a regional favorite in the Mid-Atlantic. Since the bginning of colonization of North america, Shad have been seen as a food source. And while today the interest in Shad is more in the roe, than the fish, many people love it when Shad runs locally. Shad Spend most of its life at sea, returning to freshwater streams to breed. Non-spawning adults are found in schools near the surface of continental shelf waters in spring, summer and fall and from time to time also found in brackish waters. Newly hatched larvae are found in rivers during the summer; by autumn they enter the sea and remain there until maturity. Juveniles form schools at 20-30 mm TL and gradually move downstream. Feed on plankton, mainly copepods and mysids, occasionally on small fishes. Feeding ceases during upstream spawning migration and resumes during the downstream post-spawning migration. Commercially caught in rivers and estuaries during spawning migration Shad can found in market form as fresh, salted, or smoked. The roe is esteemed. Eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked, Shad is aaa great tradition. Shad is not considered overfished; however stocks and landings have shown a continual decline over the past decade.Landings for 2005 were at an all-time low, but this is a direct result of the closure of all ocean-intercept fisheries. At the time of the 1998 assessment, American shad stocks overall were considered fully exploited and at low levels of abundance. The current status of this resource is pending the completion of a comprehensive assessment by the ASMFC Shad and River Herring Assessment Subcommittee, which is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007.
Shark, Mako Isurus oxyrinchus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Population estimates for Atlantic shortfin mako are uncertain. The latest stock assessment by ICCAT in 2008 indicates that shortfin mako shark may be overfished in the North Atlantic. Assessment information about the South Atlantic population is inconclusive. The Highly Migratory Species Management Division of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Services manages shortfin mako shark domestically, but the United States also works with Regional Fisheries Management Organizations worldwide to manage sharks. In the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, shortfin mako shark are generally caught commercially as bycatch by pelagic longliners that are targeting swordfish and tuna, and recreationally by rod and reel. Mako shark is moist and slightly sweet, with a full-bodied, meaty taste. Both flavor and texture are similar to swordfish, but the flesh of the mako is moister, and the meat is not as sweet. Fresh, raw mako is very soft and ivory-pink or a muddy, reddish color that turns ivory white and firm when cooked. While the lean, dense meat looks very similar to swordfish, it lacks the whorls of the swordfish steak. Other Common Names: Blue Pointer	Snapper Lutjanus campechanus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Red snapper is lean and moist, with a sweetly mild, distinctive flavor. The texture is lean but moist. The superb taste of this fish is evidenced by the number of other types of fish that, with just the slightest hint of red, masquerade in the marketplace as "red" snapper. The semi-firm meat is pinkish, with yellow tones, in a raw state, turning somewhat lighter when cooked. The trademark skin is a deep red along the back, fading to a pinkish-red underside. Other Common Names: Carribbean Red (Lutjanus purpureus), Lane (Lutjanus synaris), Silk (Lutjanus vivanus), True American Red (Lutjanus camphechanus), Yellowtail Snapper (Ocurus chrysurus)
Striped Bass (Hybrid) Morone chrysops-M. saxatilis Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Striped bass normally live in coastal waters but spawn in freshwater – although some populations are landlocked in freshwater lakes or rivers. Farmed striped bass are hybrids, a cross between striped bass and white bass. Their broken stripes distinguish them from wild striped bass, which have solid stripes. Striped bass is a mild fish with a delicate, slightly sweet flavor that appeals to a wider range of consumers than traditional, wild-run striped bass, which has a more pronounced taste and a coarser texture. The raw meat is translucent white with a pinkish cast; it turns opaque white when cooked. It is moderately firm but flaky, and the oil content keeps it moist during cooking. Other Common Names: Sunshine Bass, Suzuki	Stripped Bass Atlantic (Rockfish) Morone saxatilis Sustainability Order Product Profile: Striped bass, once heavily overfished, are now at sustainable population levels following the implementation of strict management controls. The U.S. EEZ remains closed to striped bass fishing. In October 2007, striped bass was designated a "gamefish" by Executive Order, prohibiting commercial sale of the species caught in federal waters. Striped bass raised through aquaculture operations will still be available to U.S. consumers in supermarkets and restaurants. Commercial fishermen harvest striped bass with a variety of gears including gill nets (the primary gear used), pound nets, haul seines, and hook-and-line. From Maine through North Carolina, Atlantic striped bass is managed through the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass, developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in 1981 under the authority of the Striped Bass Conservation Act. Other Common Names: Stripper, Rock
Swordfish Xiphias gladius Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Swordfish is moist and flavorful with a slightly sweet taste. Steaks have a moderately high oil content, lending to a firm, meaty texture. The flesh color can vary from white and ivory to pink and orange. Swordfish flesh should be firm, and cut surfaces should be free of ragged edges. Discolored, dull skin is a sign of mishandling or dehydration.	Tilapia Tilapia spp. Sustainability Order Product Profile: The mild, sweet tasting, lean-meated tilapia has a slightly firm, flaky texture. Many compare the mild taste of tilapia to that of another farm-raised success story, catfish. Raw meat is white to pinkish-white and may have a thin layer of darker muscle tissue just below the skin side of fillets. The cooked meat is white and lean with tender flakes. Water quality and feed are critical to the raising of premium tilapia. A mild, white fish, tilapia is available year-round, whole -fresh, frozen and live in some Asian restaurants - and as fresh or frozen fillets. Tilapia is known as izumidai when prepared for sushi. Native to North Africa, tilapia are hardy, freshwater fish that tolerate a wide range of water conditions. This means they’re easy to farm, but it also means they can easily invade many habitats and threaten native fish populations.
Tilefish Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps Sustainability How To Fillet Order Product Profile: This species is sometimes called the Rainbow Tilefish for its lovely blue, green, rose and yellow coloration. Out of the water, the colors fade. Tilefish yield thick fillets with a row of pinbones. The raw meat is pinkish-whit but cooks up white with a firm, flaky texture. The flavor is mild but distinctive, often compared to lobster or crab, which is not surprising, since the Tilefish's diet is largely crustaceans.	Tuna, Albacore Thunnus alalunga Sustainability Order Product Profile: North Atlantic albacore tuna population levels are low, and international overfishing is occurring. The pacific population levels are high and overfishing is not occurring. Albacore tuna are caught commercially by troll, hook-and-line, and bait boat (lift-pole) gear, all of which are deployed in open waters and do not come in contact with the seafloor. Albacore, like other species of tuna, have unique biological characteristics that enable them to swim at speeds over 50 miles per hour and cover vast areas during annual migrations. They have torpedo-shaped bodies, smooth skin, and streamlined fins. They also have a highly evolved circulatory system which regulates their body temperature and increases muscle efficiency; a high metabolism; and higher blood pressure, volume, and hemoglobin, all which increase oxygen absorption.
Tuna, Bluefin http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/atl_bluefin_tuna.htm Sustainability Order Product Profile: Atlantic bluefin tuna are highly migratory and are fished by many nations. The fishery is managed domestically by the NMFS Highly Migratory Species Management Division and internationally by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Two stocks are assumed: 1) Western Atlantic and 2) Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. Bluefin tuna are caught with purse seines, handgear (rod and reel, handline, and harpoon), and traps. Pelagic longline gear is not allowed to target bluefin tuna but is allowed to retain a limited amount of bluefin tuna caught incidentally while targeting other species (such as swordfish, yellowfin tuna, and bigeye tuna). Habitat damage by highly migratory species fishing gear, other than bottom longlines, is minor in the open ocean environment. Other Common Names: Maguro	Tuna, Yellowfin Thunnus albacares Sustainability Nutrition How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Yellowfin tuna has a mild, meaty flavor - similar, some say, to swordfish. It's more flavorful than albacore, but leaner than bluefin. The meat is bright red in its raw state but, when cooked, turns brown to grayish-tan, firm and moist, with large flakes. Yellowfin is also served raw as sashimi and in sushi. Canned product (light-meat tuna) is a bit darker than canned albacore and is often blended with skipjack tuna.
Turbot Scophthalmus maximus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Turbot has gleaming flesh that retains its bright-white appearance when cooked. The firm meat has a large flake and an excellent mild flavor. Like all flatfish, a turbot yields four fillets, with meatier back fillets than belly portions. Fillets from a 3- to 4-pound turbot are quite meaty; those from smaller fish can be rather thin. A rim of fatty tissue on the fin side of each fillet contains a row of "kernels" of snow-white meat.	Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri Sustainability Order Product Profile: Raw wahoo meat is lighter in color than that of its mackerel cousins and has less of the red muscle meat. The pale-pink flesh cooks up white. Wahoo is mild-tasting, with a firm, lean texture and large, circular flake. Grilled wahoo has been compared to chicken or veal in flavor. Population status for wahoo in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico is unknown. The wahoo fishery in the South Atlantic is managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The wahoo fishery is not regulated in the Gulf of Mexico. Over 75% of the wahoo landed in the U.S. in 2006 came from Pacific fisheries; the rest originated in the Atlantic and Gulf region.
Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Order Product Profile: Whitefish is considered one of the best-eating freshwater fish there is. Because the fish lives in icy northern lakes, the meat has a high fat content, making it an excellent candidate for smoking. The mild flavor is more like salmon than trout. The meat is medium-firm with a large flake. Though whitefish is a salmonid, the meat looks nothing like trout or salmon. Raw, the flesh is almost pure white, and it cooks up off-white.

Shellfish

Clams, Hardshell Dissostichus eleginoides Sustainability Order Product Profile: Northern quahogs (or hard clams) are the most likely to be found in fish markets and grocery stores and are the most commonly eaten species of clams in the U.S. Ocean quahog population levels remain relatively high and fishing mortality rates are relatively low. The stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. Hardshells are the connoisseur's choice for raw, halfshell clams. They are mild-flavored, sweet and briny. Cooked hardshells are soft, juicy and mild. Raw meat should be tender-crisp and plump, ranging in color from ivory to golden yellow, with some dark areas. Cooked meat is pale, pinkish-white. Discard clams with open or broken shells. Unlike softshells, hardshell clams can close their shells completely and "live on their own juices" for a time.	Clams, Soft-shell Mya arenaria Sustainability Order Product Profile: These clams, native to the Northeast U.S. and introduced to the Pacific Northwest, reproduce quickly. Softshell clams come from coastal fisheries, not shellfish farms. Softshell clams are native to the western North Atlantic, from the sub-arctic to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. They are primarily harvested from intertidal mud flats with hand rakes or hoes, which do less damage than dredging The softshell clam's delicate meat is sweet and slightly salty. The large bellies are tender and soft. Meat color ranges from ivory to gold, with some dark areas. The shell should be whole and clean, and the siphon firm and plump, not flaccid or dry. The siphon is covered with a dark membrane that is removed before the cooked clam is eaten.
Clams, Surf Spisula solidissima Sustainability Product Profile: Population levels of Atlantic surfclam are high, and no overfishing is occurring. Atlantic surfclams were one of the first species to have a fisheries management plan as directed in 1976 by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and they are currently managed under an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system. Atlantic surfclams burrow into sandy bottoms on the continental shelf. This is a "high energy" environment and is thought to recover quickly following the passage of a hydraulic clam dredge. The area actually disturbed by surfclam dredges is an extremely small percentage of the total sandy bottom of the Mid-Atlantic bight. Any impacts from fishing gear are considered temporary and minimal; the habitat's functions are not likely to be affected. Surf clams offer little waste: Shells serve as containers for stuffed dishes, and the twin adductor muscles (white cylinders attached to the shell) are delicious, as is the juice, or "nectar". These clams are less flavorful than hardshells. Cooked, the chewy white meat is mild and sweet. Raw meat is whitish-orange. Cooked meat ranges in color from ivory to golden yellow, with some dark areas. Canned clams should be in clear to opaque liquid. Breading should be intact on breaded product.	Crabs, Blue Callinectes sapidus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Meat of the blue crab has a rich, sweet, succulent and buttery flavor. The body meat is delicately flavored, while claw meat is nutty. Softshells offer a crunchy texture, since they are eaten shell and all. Cooked shells of blue crabs turn orange-red. Body meat is white, tender and flaky. Claw meat has a brownish tint, which is natural. Pasteurized meat is firmer and darker than fresh crab meat. Blue crabs grow and reproduce quickly, but many populations are threatened by habitat loss from pollution and coastal development. In the Gulf of Mexico, there is high bycatch of blue crab from shrimp trawls. Other Common Names: Hardshell, Softshell, Kani
Crab, King Paralithodes camtschaticus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: The red king crab population in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska is abundant and healthy. Crab pots can affect habitat when they settle to the bottom and when they are hauled back to the surface, but the extent of the impacts depends on the type of bottom habitat and the portion of that habitat utilized by the fishery. Red king crab are mostly fished in areas of sand and silt bottoms at depths of 120 to 600 feet. Sand and soft sediments are less likely to be affected than other habitat types. Also, pots are considered to be less damaging than mobile gear because they are stationary and come into direct contact with a much smaller area of the seafloor. Managers have recently implemented the Crab Rationalization Program to decrease fishing capacity (the number of crab fishing vessels and processing capacity in Alaska) to improve conservation and minimize community impacts of regulations. King crab is sweet, moist and rich. It's a bit firmer than Dungeness crab meat. The King crab is sweet, moist and rich. It's a bit firmer and coarser than Dungeness crab meat. The king's body meat is slightly flakier than the leg meat. The spiky shell of the cooked crab leg is a bright red. The meat is snow white with a scarlet membrane. Almost all king crab sold in the U.S. market has been cooked and brine frozen.	Crab, Dungeness Cancer magister Sustainability Order Product Profile: The Dungeness crab is the key commercial crab species in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to central California. It travels to shallow water to molt, leaving its discarded shell behind to wash up on beaches and shorelines. Only mature male crabs can be fished during the session, while female and undersized male crabs are returned to the water. A world standard for premium crab, sweet, flavorful and semi-nutty, Dungeness has been likened to the shellfish version of an artichoke heart. Some compared the crab's meat to that of a Maine (American) lobster, but more tender. Leg meat is slightly firmer than body meat. Live Dungeness crabs are purplish-brown in color. When cooked, the shell turns bright orange. The cooked meat is opaque white. Live crabs should be active in holding tnaks. Shell color of while cooks should be bright red; the back should not be cracked, and all legs should be attached.
Snow Crabs Chionoecetes spp. Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Snow crab population levels are rebuilding, and overfishing is not occurring. Snow crab are managed using quotas that include shares specifically for Alaska communities. Crab pots can affect habitat when they settle to the bottom and when they are hauled back to the surface, but the extent of these impacts depends on the type of bottom habitat and the portion of that habitat utilized by the fishery. Snow crab are fished in areas of soft sediment like silt and mud at depths of 240 to 600 feet. Sand and soft sediments are less likely to be affected than other habitat types. Also, pots are considered to be less damaging than mobile gear because they are stationary and come into direct contact with a much smaller area of the seafloor. Snow crab meat is sweet and delicate, with a more fibrous texture than king crab. Texture ranges from the tender, longitudinal fibers of shoulder meat to firmer fibers of claw meat. Cooked shell is red, though not as red as king crab, running to brownish at the shoulder. The meat ranges from snow white to reddish. Like king crab, snow crab is marketed already cooked.	Crabs, Stone Menippe spp. Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: The stone crab fishery is unique in that fishers do not harvest the crabs; rather, the fishers remove legal-sized claws from the animals and then return the crabs alive to the water. Most female crabs have already spawned one or more seasons by the time their claws reach legal size. The stone crab fishery is managed with a seven-month fishing season (October 15 through May 15), a claw (propodus) minimum harvest size of 2-3/4 inches (70 mm), trap specifications, and a passive trap limitation program. An average of 34% of the claws (weighted by regional landings) observed by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) samplers in fish houses statewide showed evidence of forced breaks. Approximately 13% of the claws were regenerated claws, or claws that grew back, providing evidence that some declawed crabs survive the loss of their claws. Stone-crab claws are smooth and rounded. The shells turn bright orange when cooked; the tips remain black. Raw meat is grayish; cooked is white. The meat resembles lobster in appearance. The claw meat is sweet, mild and firm, like a cross between crab and lobster. The shell is "harder than a landlord's heart," noted one Florida gourmand.
Lobster, American (Cold Water) Homarus americanus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: Populations of American lobster in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are healthy and overfishing is not occurring. However, in Southern New England, lobster are overfished and overfishing is occurring. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service implements regulations for the American lobster fishery in offshore federal waters complementary to those implemented by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in state waters. The principal fishing gear used to catch lobster is the trap. Lobster are also taken as bycatch in otter trawls. Lobster traps have very little impact on the habitat. American lobster is found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from Labrador to Cape Hatteras in coastal waters and out to depths of 2,300 feet. American lobster is most abundant inshore (out to a depth of about 131 feet) from Maine through New Jersey; it occurs offshore from Maine through North Carolina. Lobster meat is mild and sweet in flavor. The texture is firm and somewhat fibrous. Live lobsters range in color from brownish rust to bright blue to greenish brown. Live lobsters should be active, and their tails should curl, not dangle, beneath them. Cook weakened lobsters immediately; discard dead ones. Consumers are advised not to eat the tomalley, the light-green substance found in the lobster.	Mussels, Blue Mytilus edulis Sustainability Order Product Profile: Mussels are cultured throughout most of the world and make up approximately 90 percent of the world mussel consumption. The major producers are China, Spain, Italy, Thailand, France and New Zealand. The U.S. imports most of its mussels from developed nations with stringent environmental regulations. As with other related species – scallops, oysters and clams – farming methods for mussels are environmentally sound. Mussels do not rely on fishmeal or fish oil as part of their diet. Diseases are rare, so antibiotics and chemicals are not necessary, and the aquaculture operations often benefit the surrounding marine habitat. Mussels are typically grown suspended in mid-water, not on the seafloor. This is preferred to growing ‘on-bottom’ as the dredging methods used to collect the shellfish can temporarily damage the seafloor habitat Blue mussels have a distinctive rich, sweet taste, like a blend of oysters and clams. Mussels should look and smell fresh and have tightly closed shells. Mussel meats, which range from white to orange, are plump and tender, but less soft than clams. Females tend to be orange when ripe (they're fine to eat and, unlike oysters, don't taste oily when about to spawn). If a mussel's shell gapes, try to pinch it shut. If the mussel is alive, it shut its shell tightly.
Mussels, Green Perna canaliculus Sustainability Order Product Profile: As with other related species – scallops, oysters and clams – farming methods for mussels are environmentally sound. Mussels do not rely on fishmeal or fish oil as part of their diet. Diseases are rare, so antibiotics and chemicals are not necessary, and the aquaculture operations often benefit the surrounding marine habitat. Mussels are typically grown suspended in mid-water, not on the seafloor. This is preferred to growing ‘on-bottom’ as the dredging methods used to collect the shellfish can temporarily damage the seafloor habitat. Green mussels are sweet, tender, delicate, plump and juicy. Meat color varies from apricot (female) to cream (male).Greenshells are most commonly available individually quick frozen in the whole or half shell to lock in flavor. Because they are grown on ropes suspended above the seabed, they rarely contain grit or sand. Unlike the blue mussel, the greenshell mussel's shell is slightly open in its natural state.	Oyster, European Ostera edulis Product Profile: Traditionally, flat oysters are reputed to have a finer flavor than all other oyster species. Their taste is fairly pronounced, with distinct salty highlights and a sweet to flinty overtone. There's a slight metallic aftertaste, almost like sucking on a penny -- nothing a sip of white wine won't fix. European oysters are more rounded than Atlantic or Pacific oysters. Shells are flat, with little cup. Color varies from white to brown, with the inside a creamy off-white. The meat is a creamy to light brown, matching the shell lining. Cooked meat turns ivory.
Oyster, Eastern Crassostrea virginica Product Profile: The Eastern oyster is known for its distinctive, salty flavor and meaty texture. Oyster meats should be smooth with adequate liquor (store cup-side down to retain the liquor). Eastern oysters have a moderately deep, elongated, gray-white to gray-brown, rough, spoon-shaped shell with rose-colored streaks. Inside is a light-colored fringe (the gill) and creamy to light-brown meat. Cooked meat turns ivory. To test for live oysters, tap the shell; it should close.	Scallops Bay Argopecten irradians Sustainability Order Product Profile: Mild and sweet, bay scallops are considered the best-tasting of the scallop species. Raw, the lean, cork-shaped meat is translucent, with color ranging from creamy to pink. The texture should be firm and moist, not slippery and spongy. Cooked meat is opaque white and firm. Top-quality scallops should have an ivory translucence and elastic springiness that allows them to keep their shape. Around 96 percent of the scallops consumed in the United States are captured from the wild in U.S. and Canadian fisheries. Of the 4 percent that are farmed, most are imported from China and Japan. While Japan has provided key advances in scallop aquaculture technology, some concerns remain about the cultured scallops raised in China. Scallop farming is generally an environmentally sound practice. Scallop farms have a low impact on marine resources as they don’t rely on fishmeal or fish oil, and they can make surrounding waters cleaner by filtering out nutrients and organic matter. Fertilizers, antibiotics and other chemicals are seldom used when farming scallops.
Scallops, Sea Placopecten megallanicus Sustainability Nutrition Order Product Profile: The largest commercially available scallops, sea scallops have a sweet, rich taste that ranges from mild to briny. Raw, the drum-shaped meat is a shiny, creamy white, sometimes with pinkish or brown spots. Top-quality scallops should have an ivory translucence and elastic springiness that allows them to keep their shape. Cooked meat is opaque white with a firm, lean texture. Atlantic sea scallop population levels are high; overfishing is not occurring. Scallops are managed using a combined approach of effort limitation and rotating harvest areas, which maximizes scallop yields while protecting beds of young scallops. The U.S. sea scallop fishery is extremely important to the economy and is the largest wild scallop fishery in the world. In 2007, it was the most valuable fishery in the U.S.	Shrimp, Gulf Farfantepenaeus aztecus, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, Litopenaeus setiferus Sustainability How To Fillet Order Product Profile: Gulf shrimp are generally flavorful and sweet, with slight variations in taste according to the species. Pinks are tender and sweet. Browns are firm, though somewhat bland, and sometimes have a hint of iodine. Whites, the standard against which other shrimp species - domestic and imported - are often measured, are sweet and firm. Population levels of all three shrimps - pink (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), white (Litopenaeus setiferus) and brown (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico are stable. The Gulf population is not overfished, nor has it experienced overfishing. The pink shrimp population of the South Atlantic is low (but not due to fishing pressure) and so lkess pink product is available. Commercial fisheries for shrimp continue to work to reduce the harmful impacts of bycatch of non-target species, including red snapper. Only about 10% of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. are captured, the rest is imported from the Pacific. There are numerous species types of shrimp and each is unique to the region of the world from which it comes. Gulf shrimp is available at profish.
Shrimp, Tiger Penaeus monodon How To Fillet Order Product Profile: A Tiger shrimp is a farmed raised product usually from the Indonesian Penisula or mainland China. There are many problems associated with all forms of shrimp harvest and Tiger Shrimp are no different. About 3.7 million acres of tropical coastal mangroves have been converted to shrimp farms, destroying important habitat for fish, birds and people. So much waste builds up in the farm ponds that the farmers have to move on, leaving the water polluted and mangrove forests destroyed. U.S. shrimp farms are subject to laws limiting environmental impacts which makes them a good alternative to imported farmed shrimp. There are no large shrimp farms in the US at this time, so almost all tiger shrimp is imported. Farmed black tiger shrimp have a mild, almost bland flavor compared to the pronounced taste of ocean-harvested Gulf shrimp. Cooked tiger's meat is also softer than that of other shrimp species. Tigers have gray to black stripes on gray or bluish shells and associated stripes on the peeled meat. The cooked shell turns bright red. The white flesh is tinged with orange if cooked peeled and red if cooked in the shell. Meat should be slightly resilient and moist. Improper storage temperatures, refreezing or extended frozen storage can turn shrimp tough, dry and fibrous. A black spot on the shell indicates melanosis. It's not a health issue in early stages but indicates general poor quality.	Crab, Stone Menippe adina and Menippe mercenaria Sustainability Order Product Profile: Stone crab population levels are estimated to be high and no overfishing is occurring. The unique manner in which stone crab claws are harvested helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the species. Stone crabs are harvested primarily with wooden or plastic traps. Traps can potentially damage bottom habitat if they are deployed and retrieved from coral reefs or live hardbottom. Seagrasses can also be damaged by placement and retrieval of traps. The stone crab fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is managed through the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Fishery Management Plan for the Stone Crab Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), implemented on September 30, 1979.
Lobster, Spiney (Warm Water) Panulirus argus Sustainability Order Product Profile: Population levels for spiny lobster are unknown, but overfishing is not occurring in the Southeastern United States. The spiny lobster fishery in the federal waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico is jointly managed by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. The Caribbean Fishery Management Council manages the spiny lobster fishery in the EEZ and territorial seas of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Spiny Lobster is caught all over the world - from Australia to the Carribbean to brazil to South Africa - at Profish we carry a variety of Spiny tails from many of these countries of origin.

Other

Squid Loligo spp, Illex illecebrosus Sustainability Order Product Profile: The fishery is dominated by small-mesh bottom trawlers that fish throughout the year (inshore during spring through early fall and offshore during the rest of the year). Near-shore pound net and fish trap fisheries also occur during spring and summer when the squid migrate inshore to spawn Cooked squid is mild and has a subtle sweetness. The meat is firm yet tender. Squid has large, 8 to 12 inch tubes. Raw squid meat is ivory beneath a naturally speckled membrane. Cooked squid is opaque white and firm. Fresh or thawed squid should be moist, shiny and ivory colored. Pink, yellow or purple flesh indicates deterioration. Edible parts of the squid include the arms (tentacles), the mantle (tube) and the fins (wings). The body is covered with a thin skin that may be removed before cooking. Squid ink is often used to make black pasta. Longfin squid population levels are high, and overfishing is not occurring. The longfin squid fishery is managed using several methods that include an annual catch quota, a minimum codend mesh size (for nets), and a limited access permit program.

Octopus Octopus spp. Order Product Profile: Octopus meat is uniquely textured -- smooth, but with a firm-to-chewy "bite." The animal's diet of high-quality shellfish gives it a mild, sweet flavor. The edible skin is purplish-black and covers milky white meat. Cooked meat is translucent beige, sometimes with hints of deep pink. Size depends on species and region of harvest. Octopus from Thailand are small, averaging 14 to 21 ounces; those from the Philippines are larger, graded in sizes of 1 to 2, 2 to 4 and 4 to 6 pounds. Korean octopus are even larger.