In Zanzibar, two edible red seaweed species are commonly used for food: Spinosum and Cottonii, also called ‘Elkhorn sea moss.’ Both species can be found wild in the coastal area and are also farmed intensively. In addition to these two…

Mangrove oysters (Isognomon ephippium) are the species most commonly found growing on mangrove trees in Northern Australia. Its other common English name is ‘Saddle tree oyster.’ These oysters are one species eagerly collected and eaten by Bardi people at the…

The Long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus) is one of the many seafood organisms local people catch or collect at low tide in shallow waters around Zanzibar island. This fish is not specifically searched for, but it will be happily speared and…

Edible shipworms, in this case Bactronophorus thoracites, are also known as Naked clams, Priyang talay (เพรียงทะเล), and various other common names throughout the region where they occur. They bore into wood immersed in salt water and are a major hassle…

Pipi clams (Donax deltoides) are also known as Surf clams, Sandy Donax, and a wide range of other common names. In Thailand, they can be found on most beaches in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. They are…

Bibi worms (Sipunculus nudus Linnaeus, 1776) belong to the Peanut worm phylum. They can be dug up at the intertidal zone of flat, sandy beaches on temperate and tropical beaches. These worms are primarily used as top fishing bait. At…

Sea-Gypsies – Urak Lawoi, Moklen, and Moken – traditionally catch octopuses along the Andaman Sea’s rocky shores. Using a metal skewer and baited bamboo stick, they locate octopuses in holes with foam or clean pebbles. Patiently baiting them, they impale…

Ghost crabs (genus Ocypode) comprise 22 different species, and they are commonly also called `Sand crabs.` The scientific name Ocypode has Greek origin and means swift-footed. Ghost crabs are semi-terrestrial crabs that dig deep burrows in intertidal zones of sand. They…

Description of the crab species Three-spot swimming crabs (Ovalipes trimaculatus) have a rounded triangular carapace with five legs on either side. The tips of the back pair of legs are flattened into paddles for better maneuvering in the water. Adorned…

Seekoraal is the Afrikaans term for the Salicornia natalensis plant, which belonged to the Sacocornia taxonomic genus before being reclassified under the Salicornia genus in 2017. Salicornia plants are succulent, halophytic (salt-tolerant) flowering plants in the Amaranthaceae family. They thrive…

Vongole clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) are the main bivalve species collected from the flat beaches of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy. Introduced to aquaculture facilities in the lagoon of Venice in 1983, they are now considered an invasive species, having…

Limpets (Scutellastra sp. and others) have conical, oval-shaped shells that range from 1-10cm in diameter depending on the type of limpet. Their shell is ribbed or smooth depending on the limpet species. The shells are normally brown, grey, or black…

The salt intake of a human in case of an actual survival situation or when living from the provisions of a shoreline by purpose is of utmost importance to its health. If too much salt is consumed, the body has…

Purple Laver (Porphyra capensis) belongs to a genus of cold-water seaweeds that grow in shallow seawater. More specifically, it belongs to the red algae phylum of laver species (from which comes laverbread), comprising approximately 70 species. It grows in the…

Black mussels in Namibia include the following species: Ribbed mussel (Aulacomya atra), Black mussel (Choromytilus meridionalis), Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), Brown mussel (Perna perna) and Bisexual mussel (Semimytilus algosus). In one of my former articles on this website, I discussed…

Description of White mussels White mussels (Donax serra) are wedge-shaped bivalves with coarse ridges across the posterior. The inner surface is smooth and has a purple tinge. It has a short, stubby inhalant and a long, thin exhalant siphon. It…

Simple crab snare for use on a tropical beach A crab snare is usually shaped like a bait cage with about six snares around it. This set-up combines a fishing line and rod or just hung down the sea bottom…

A mudflat full of razor clams ‘Don Hoi Lot’ is a mudflat in the Thai Province of Samut Songkhram with a size of about 15 km2 (about 9 square miles). ‘Don’ means ‘mudflat’ in English. ‘Hoi’ means ‘clam’, and ‘Hoi…

In Thailand, a variety of mudskipper species live, notably Giant mudskippers (Periophthalmodon schlosseri), Blue-spotted mudskippers (Boleophthalmus boddarti), and others. They are all amphibious fish living in muddy estuaries and tidal brackish river zones around Asia-Pacific. They live in about 40…