Clam shrimp Puns

"Clam shrimps" are a paraphyletic group within the superorder Diplostraca, consisting of the orders Laevicaudata, Spinicaudata, and Cyclestherida. They're essentially large water fleas. Here's a phylogenetic diagram.

The way the carapace grows in the orders Spinicaudata and Cyclestherida is unique among crustaceans.

From an NCBI article:

"Clam shrimp fossils are dominantly comprised of carapaces only. The reason is that the carapace is more heavily mineralized/sclerotized, and it is more resistant to decay than the ‘soft parts’ (the body and limbs). This leaves a relatively character-poor fossil, consisting of only the carapace and its growth lines, and under ideal circumstances, interval ornamentation patterns as well. As a result, the presence of growth lines has been a key character in clam shrimp systematics; ‘growth lines’ are exhibited by spinicaudatans, cyclestherids and a few species of cladocerans. The term ‘growth lines’, however, is a misnomer. The carapace is not formed by marginal accretion (as understood in brachiopods, corals, and molluscs, and implied by the term ‘growth line’), but by incomplete molting. Each time the animal molts, it molts only the ventral cuticle of the carapace, as well as the cuticle of the body (Astrop and Hegna, unpublished). The carapace cuticle (as well as the head in cladocerans; see Kotov and Elias-Gutiérrez 2009; Kotov and Štifter 2006) is kept and a new layer grows underneath it. This extra thickening of the dorsal carapace no doubt serves to protect the animal."

Very underrated branchiopods. They deserve more attention!

When you sit down to a meal, I think we can all agree that it should be a relaxing, pleasant experience. The last thing someone should have to do is perform surgery on their pasta. Yet, that is often exactly what is required of diners when a restaurant offers pasta with shrimp that have not been totally peeled, or with clams still in the shells. So many times, in order to enjoy all of the dish's ingredients, one is required to perform multiple sloppy mini-surgeries to extract the edible portion of the shrimp or clam; in many cases, there is no way to do this without involving your hands. It is totally uncivilized. If it does not involve direct handling with the fingers, at the very least it requires an irritating procedure that could have just as easily been performed in the kitchen before the plate came to the table.

What do these shrimp tails, skins, legs, heads, or clam shells even add to the dish apart from headache? Some may argue these things add flavor. If that is what the chef is after, I respect that; leave those things in while preparing the sauce and remove them after they have imparted their flavors. Do whatever is necessary to maintain the integrity of the dish, but do not involve the customer. I have also heard people argue that whole or partially peeled shrimp or clam shells offer some kind of aesthetic value to a dish. This I find wholly unconvincing. Shrimp look like an insect a person would immediately kill if it appeared in their home, and clams are in no way aesthetically pleasing, either. Furthermore, while I do believe cooking is an art (and that there may be those who disagree with my opinion on the aesthetic value of shrimp and clams), in the end we must remember that the ultimate reason a dish has been created was for (presumably enjoyable) consumption. Bearing that in mind, any aesthetic value things like unpeeled shrimp or clams theoretically possess is far outweighed by the very real interference they introduce to the consumption of the meal.

I also maintain that offering these dishes to the public is a transgression against the tacit agreement that exists between restaurant and diner. As the customer, I pay for the ability to order what I want from the menu, and for that dish to be brought to me fully prepared and ready for my consumption. There should be no intervening procedures required of me pertaining to the food (with the possible exception of sprinkling a little salt or pepper). However, when a pasta dish comes to my

https://dengarden.com/gardening/home-based-snail-farming

How to Set Up an Outdoor Snailery

Soil is the most important part of a snail's habitat. To sustain their growth and development, the soil must be moist and have a high amount of organic matter, the kind that supports the cultivating of leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots.

1. You must first clear the ground of weeds, shrubbery, and twigs, and its texture must be loose enough to allow mature snails to dig easily into the soil to lay their eggs and hibernate during the dry season.
2. Hand-till (plough) the soil to loosen its grains and make its texture snail friendly.
3. Create a paddock for vegetables and leguminous plants.
4. Build a fine-mesh or netting enclosure all around the paddock. Remember that snails can crawl away unnoticed.
5. Grow leafy greens, legumes, cocoyams, bananas, and dwarf pawpaw plants in the paddock and wait for them to grow.
6. Introduce your breeders into the enclosure and ensure you water the paddock regularly. It will provide both shelter and food for the snails.

This has to the be the 69th time i’ve made a post about this since I started going here

UMAss dining - PLEASE stop putting the wrong kind of chowder on the app menu

90% of my decision to walk all the way across campus to Berk was for the clam chowder

There was no clam chowder, only the wannabe shrimp and corn chowder

Why are we here? To suffer?

I have shellfish steamed issues.