What do you know about shrimp?

There is a national day for just about everything under the sun, but I bet there isn't much on the National Day list that is as versatile as shrimp. And I'm betting even though as a South Texan you might be familiar with shrimp, there are some things about shrimp that you didn't know. I'm here to help with that.

We've got five things to know about shrimp that might surprise you.

Just a quick side note first, used to love shrimp.

I used to love shrimp. I'm talking Bubba Blue love shrimp, just like his character's famous line from Forrest Gump I loved to eat shrimp any and every way. "Shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried." You name it. And then I got pregnant with my third child, walked by someone who was cooking delicious shrimp scampi, and for no reason at all, the smell made me sick. Now as much as I love the taste, every time I smell shrimp cooking it makes me ill.

5. Over a billion pounds of shrimp are eaten by Americans every day.

That's a whole lotta shrimp folks. Apparently not too many pregnant women have had the same adverse effects on the smell of cooking shrimp making shrimp one of America's favorite seafood. This YouTube video compliments of Sea Fishing Video will give you some perspective when it comes to the amount of shrimp caught each day. Some statics offer that most Americans eat on average, 4 pounds of shrimp a year! 

4. All shrimp are born neither male nor female.

Similar to oysters, shrimp are born neither male nor female but develop into males first, then later evolve into females. This is known as serial protandry or protandrous hermaphroditism. Pretty interesting right? Here is a video of a shrimp giving birth. Sooo cool. Thank you to Flip Aquatics.

3. There are 128 species of shrimp. Some are especially amazing.

Take, for instance, the pistol shrimp. The pistol shrimp can deliver an explosive attack via a bubble bullet that is hotter than the surface of the sun and loud enough to rupture a human eardrum. They have been featured in Nat Geo's 'Deadliest Animals'. Check out this Youtube video on Pistol Shrimp from National Geographic.

Or how about the Mantis shrimp ( which technically isn't really a shrimp-shhh) that according to the Guinness Book of World Records packs the strongest punch in the animal kingdom, known to easily break through glass as well as through a crabs shell. Here's another Nat Geo video to check out! Think about THAT the next time you call someone a shrimp!

2. The longest shrimp on record was 16 inches long.

That's over a foot long! Think about THAT the next time you call someone a shrimp! Here is some video on Youtube with Top5Trendings Top 5 largest shrimp ever caught. The second to last photo will blow your mind.

1. Shrimps are omnivorous, which means they can eat anything.

Have you ever wondered what in the world shrimp eat? Well, in one word... everything. They scour the seafloor for anything and everything to eat. Plant matter, dead fish carcasses, live worms... everything in between. This is why they have unsavory nicknames like Cockroach of the Sea and Hannibal. But you know what you can call them tonight to honor them on National Shrimp Day?

Dinner.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

 

 

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