ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the microbiology of finfish, crustaceans with a chitinous exoskeleton, and molluscan shellfish with a calcareous shell. Bivalve (two-shelled) molluscs are filter-feeding and during this process they concentrate microorganisms from water, which may lead to specific safety issues. Marine muscle foods, or seafood, are produced from a large number of aquatic species that live in habitats as differrent as (i) permanently cold seawater with 3-4% NaCl, e.g., in polar or deep-sea regions, (ii) warm shallow or surface seawaters in the tropics, (iii) estuarine waters or (iv) freshwater of different temperatures. In addition, aquatic animals are captured or reared by different methods and this also influence the microflora of seafoods. The majority of the microorganisms on aquatic animals have no recognized importance in marine muscle foods but spoilage and disease, i.e., infection or intoxication are caused by specific microorganisms.