(below) It’s thus one of the richest, most flavorful parts of the body, and is especially prized in lobsters and crabs But it’s also what makes crustaceans spoil so readily The gland is made up of tiny fragile tubes; and when the animal is killed, the tubules are readily attacked and damaged by their own enzymes, which then spread into the muscle tissue and break it down into mush There are several ways to avoid this spoilage Lobsters and crabs are sold either live, their digestive system intact, or fully cooked, their enzymes inactivated by the cooking Because the shrimp liver is relatively small, processors often remove the “head” that contains it, and sell only the tail meat Raw shrimp that are sold “head-on” must be handled with greater care (iced immediately and continuously) and don’t keep as long The Crustacean Cuticle, Molting, and Seasonal Quality Another defining characteristic of the crustaceans is a “shell” or cuticle made up of chitin, a network of molecules that are something of a hybrid between carbohydrates and proteins In shrimp, the cuticle is thin and transparent; in larger animals it’s thick and opaque, hardened to a rock-like mass with calcium minerals filling the space between chitin fibers Crustacean anatomy The forward part of the crustacean body, the cephalothorax or “head,” contains the digestive and reproductive organs The rear part, the abdomen or “tail,” is mainly fast muscle tissue that moves the rear fins and propels shrimp (top) and lobsters (center) in brief swimming maneuvers The crab (bottom) has only a vestigial abdomen tucked under its ... “head,” contains the digestive and reproductive organs The rear part, the abdomen or “tail,” is mainly fast muscle tissue that moves the rear fins and propels shrimp (top) and lobsters (center) in...characteristic of the crustaceans is a “shell” or cuticle made up of chitin, a network of molecules that are something of a hybrid between carbohydrates and proteins In shrimp, the cuticle is thin and transparent;... larger animals it’s thick and opaque, hardened to a rock-like mass with calcium minerals filling the space between chitin fibers Crustacean anatomy The forward part of the crustacean body, the cephalothorax