A large subfamily of the pompanos, the jack can be found on both coasts of tropical America as far north as Cape Cod. Some of the jack family are not considered good eating, but many are excellent. The Common Jack (or Crevalle) is the most abundant of the Cavallas and is found in dense schools on both coasts in warm water. Other important jacks include the Kingfish, or King Cero; Blue Runner, or Hard-Tailed Jack; the Horse-eye Jack, found most abundantly in the tropics, where it’s reputed to be poisonous; and the Cuban Jack, or African pompano. Jacks are high-fat, with firm, mild flesh, and can be prepared in many ways.

A marine invertebrate with a gelatinous, umbrella-like body and long, fiber-like tentacles. The jellyfish is popular mainly in Chinese cuisines. Rarely found fresh, they are almost always dried and salted and used mainly for crunchy texture; or in long strands resembling cellophane noodles.

A fish with delicious, mildly flavored meat that is native to Europe. The excellent flavor and texture of the John Dory are in direct opposition to its appearance. It has a flat, curved body and an unusual-looking head that is large and spiny. Pan-frying, baking, broiling and grilling are some of the cooking methods used to prepare the fish. It is rarely exported to the U.S. Good substitutes for it are flounder, porgy and sole.

An enormous crab, the largest members of the spider crab family (legs on spider crabs are jointed backwards), they can grow to 10 feet, claw tip to tip, and weigh 15 or more pounds. The wonderfully sweet meat is pure white and with a delicate red exterior. As it is most abundant around both Alaska’s and Japan’s northern Pacific waters, it is also called both Alaskan and Japanese King Crab. Since it’s been overfished in Alaska, the amount of king crab caught is strictly quota-controlled.  Most of the king crab now sold in the U.S. comes from Russia.

A gastropod with a distinctive pointed, Chinese hat-shaped shell, limpets can be found, like barnacles, clinging to rocks. Rarely found outside of coastal areas, and even there only in specialty markets, the meat can be eaten raw, or lightly sautéed. Like most seafood, it must be cooked lightly to prevent toughening.
 

Neither a cod nor a ling, a lingcod is an exceptionally good eating fish, a favorite of West Coast chefs, many of whom prefer it to halibut. Lingcod probably were named by European fishermen who thought the long, thin fish looked like their native ling and had the white flesh of a cod.


 

There are two species of clams called littlenecks:

• On the East Coast, Little Neck after Little Neck Bay on Long Island, a quahog less than 2 inches in diameter.
• On the West Coast, Pacific littlenecks.

Both of these hard-shell clams measure less than 2 inches across. They’re usually eaten on the half-shell.
 

Years ago, lobsters were considered a trash fish, and in the Northeast U.S., strict limits were placed on how many were allowed to be fed to workers. Today, those same trash fish command $18.00 a pound in restaurants. There are two major varieties: those with and those without claws. With claws, the most common is the U.S. is the Maine Lobster, also called the American lobster. In Europe, it is the European lobster. Both have 5 pairs of legs, one of which forms their distinctive claws. The European lobster is smaller. The second major variety is the clawless lobster, the suppliers of most lobster tails. They are known as Spiny or Rock lobsters. Live lobsters can be found year-round, and should be cooked live or quickly after death. Whole lobsters are best steamed, boiled or broiled. Whole cooked lobsters and precooked frozen and canned lobster meat are available, as well as frozen, raw Spiny lobster tails. Females yield coral (eggs) in the spring. Many consider the lobster’s tomalley (liver) a delicacy. The Chic or Chicken lobster, about a pound, is the smallest lobster allowed to be sold in the U.S. It takes an American lobster 4 to 7 years to grow to one pound. The “scream” heard when placed in boiling water is simply air escaping from the lobster’s body as it expands from the heat.  See also spiny lobster.