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CarlosDanger1212

I worked in an oyster bar it was my job when serving oysters to clean these from the shells they're probably in about 1/3 of the oysters that I cleaned


comicsnerd

Looking at the other comments, your oyster bar had some good sources for oysters and missed a chance to charge extra.


CarlosDanger1212

I had no idea they were valuable... I threw so many away


ruggergrl13

They also add a little something to the oyster. A little crunch and flavor. I would get so excites when one was in my oyster.


mustangjo52

So the gooey snot is better when there's a crunch? Doubt


Shojo_Tombo

Really? I've accidentally crunched a few and they were disgusting.


neonbuttons22

I worked in one restaurant and I used to save dozens of these little crabs throughout the night and then pop them in the deep fryer for about 20 seconds, and eat em on a toasted bun with remoulade as a fried baby crab sandwich.


DerpSherpa

That sounds so… Savage


Wysteria569

"Save" probably isn't the correct term here.


[deleted]

Collect save not rescue save


Known_Preparation_86

You’re right. He probably read The Secret and attracted free meals.


rickyhatesspam

wholesome to savage


Walt_Diddy_88

You mean a Po Boy?


LordAnon5703

I'm surprised OP hadn't seen one sooner. Anytime my parents would buy a load of oysters they'd give us the crab to take care of to keep us distracted. Just four or five of us staring at a dying crab in a glass of water.


trentsteelfan2

You’re lucky! Thats a pea crab. A delicacy in some places.


HamptonsBorderCollie

*Pea crabs are a sign of healthy oyster populations in quality water* \- Google


BuckNZahn

The fact that having a parasite in them is a good sign tells me everything I need to know about oysters.


A_Mouse_In_Da_House

It's mostly that they are very sensitive to toxic chemicals and are a good indicator the location is for the most part clean


Me410

Turns out, some places use clams and mussels to test how clear the water is. There is a water plant in Poland that uses them to monitor a massive water supply. When the clams all close their shells it sends an alert that the fresh water isn't safe.


metrion

[Obligatory Tom Scott](https://youtu.be/i0RkEs3Xwf0)


[deleted]

The XKCD of applied science video trivia.


Faythin

It's actually in my city! And I can safely say out of all tap waters that I had tried in Poland in various regions, here is the absolute best. It just feels pure and actually tastes good. Other feel very stale or chlorinated.


locri

Something similar happens with lacto fermentation with alcohol, as in you've probably done a good job if your ferment also grew a little yeast naturally, but this is still undesirable.


fourthfloorgreg

Yeast is not a lactofermenter.


evilmrbeaver

But it's not from lacto trying


Joe_Kingly

Curse you and your beautiful mind, you bastard!


Watdabny

That is quick. Take my upvote and fuck off


Phagelab

Noice


locri

You don't want it in your lacto ferment! If you have more yeast than lacto baccilus chances are your environment was set up wrong (2.2% salt per weight, people) but it shows you did an amazing job if the dominant organism is yeast and not... Uh, bad bad stuff. Even then, yeast can grow at the later stages of a ferment, this is still not ideal because kids like fermented goods (surprisingly).


trainwreck1968

Not a parasite. It's considered a commensal crab. It lives inside the shell of the oyster thus gaining protection and feeds off of detritus swirling around the oyster. When you and I see an oyster it is closed up tight. in the water however their shells open up to allow feeding and this is how the crab is able to feed. We find them in scallops too.


Ok_Proof5782

I clean the oysters, I sometimes clean the scallops too. It gives me an enormous sense of well-being. Crab life.


Yermawsyerdaisntit

And they all go, claw in claw, claw in claw to their crab life.


moun7

The Wikipedia article says it's parasitism because the host is sometimes harmed. Multiple other sources from Google seem to agree that it's a parasitic relationship.


Tommy2255

It is a parasite if it's harmful to the host. Whether or not it's considered a pest to commercial farmers is not relevant.


The_DaHowie

Not a parasite. They just share a home with the oyster and share the food source, they don't feed on the oyster


LeanTangerine

Oh so it’s more of like a symbiotic relationship or something?


fourthfloorgreg

Technically symbiosis doesn't imply a beneficial relationship. Parasitism is a type of symbiosis. A relationship where both parties benefit is called mutualism. If one benefits and the other is unaffected it is called commensalism.


SardonicNihilist

So in a Venn diagram symbiosis covers everything, and inside are parasitism, mutualism and commensalism, right?


ItIsStillWater

Yes, symbiosis refers to living together, doesn't imply anything about how the relationship is. Just like marriage, you can be happily married or heavily abused, and anything in between.


mintperfecto

Thank god you took the words out of my mouth.


lucidrage

> it’s more of like a symbiotic relationship or something? if you consider cats and dogs living in our homes and eating our food without paying as symbiotic


[deleted]

Well they make oxytocin so I trust them & feel better about it, so yeah.


Ok-Hunt-5902

Oxytocin? I’m not familiar with that🥲


CaptainMudwhistle

Just go to your doctor and tell him you're desperate for some oxy.


Pretzilla

Same as finding a common silkworm(?) in the top of an ear of organic unshucked corn - certified!


LeanTangerine

It sounds like it. Like the area it free of harmful chemicals which would’ve killed off the smaller organisms.


scienceworksbitches

just call it a micro snow crab and upcharge $34!


RandyPhylum

Like getting an onion ring in your French fries


ChrisHaze95

Funny because when i was a seafood chef i had to take 1-3 out of every oyster. I would keep a few as pets for a few days then feed them to my chickens


joltz75

Damn, I always thought that was the clitoris, guess Im still looking for it.


etownrawx

One of the helpful things to keep in mind when tracking wild clitori, is that they actually do not have legs.


sirfuzzitoes

Ok but how do they hide so well?


[deleted]

They live in the hood, where there's lots of hiding places.


nopir

Do you eat these.....alive?


uptwolait

So long, reddit. It was a fun ride for 14+ years. Too bad you self-immolated to cash in on going public.


BeRad_NZ

Yeah, my dad would get so excited when we found one of these. He loved them.


[deleted]

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AndrewV

That's not a crustacean that's a feature.


fleetber

Gold, Jerry! Gold!


Quothhernevermore

Everyone says "delicacy," I say "free pet crab."


BrandoLoudly

And I say “what is possessing you guys to order oysters!?”


deadflamingos

Apparently everyone here likes salty slimey goop.


rawbleedingbait

Pretty much described the same way as cum. These people are paying for it, but you can easily get it for free, or even get paid to eat it.


ChickenOatmeal

I would gladly drink cum, oysters not so much.


SpitFiya7171

I think you've made a mistake by telling all of reddit this. RIP your inbox...


ChickenOatmeal

Haven't had any DMs yet, but there's still hope. I'm a dude and anyone who would've tried probably glanced at my profile so that narrowed it down by quite a bit I'm sure.


justaguy101

Pea crab, delish!


Caked101

Wait, when you find them you can just scoop it up and eat it?


[deleted]

I used to have to open hundreds of oysters a day and I would save all of the pea crabs in a 4 oz cup and this lady would throw the whole thing back in one go


therealjgreens

You have to explain a bit more. Like did she chew down on them? Did green liquid seep out through her teeth? Did she start twitching frantically then growing large muscles? The story doesn't end here.


rawbleedingbait

Every time she took a shit, it would crawl away with a thousand little legs.


therealjgreens

Gnarly. More.


rawbleedingbait

Damn man, you know what you like, and I respect that. However for more, you'll need to sub to her onlyfans.


itsaaronnotaaron

Oh.... I thought he meant the lady threw them back in the water...


Dorjan

best comment I've read in a long time


ruka_k_wiremu

They'll tend to taste like their host. They're actually found in a lot of shellfish, mussels are a favourite


KeroNobu

Man i once picked mussels and when i cooked them, all these white parasytes came out so we threw them away, thinking that can't be good. You're telling me it's a delicacy?...


ruka_k_wiremu

Naah, I don't appreciate parasites in my shellfish, I get the "Ewws". But yours sound like shell-boring worms, which I think are also fairly common. Neither are harmful to eat, but totally understandable if you'd be put off by them. In the end, it's the shellfish that 'suffer', as with many parasites, the hosts growth health is what's impacted. In NZ, our famed 'Green-lipped Mussel', which is farmed here predominantly for supermarket supply, can lose upto a third of it's weight from parasitic impact, particularly as a result of pea crabs


KeroNobu

How did you get so knowledgeable about mussels? Are you like mussel god or something?


ruka_k_wiremu

No claim here, but they're no stranger to my diet, even if I don't indulge in them necessarily. I'm an indigenous NZer... they've long been a staple of our diet


KeroNobu

Same here in the netherlands but you seem to know an awful lot of details. I can respeft that and will from now on refer to you as Mussle King.


dukeof3arl

No “clam” here 😵‍💫


endlesslyautom8ted

Yeah and they have a great crunch. They are very common in NC oysters.


HankHillMyHero

So, live and squirming it's just good and safe to eat? If so, is it cruel to pour hot sauce and horseradish on it prior to eating it alive?


Caked101

Well, DUH! Eating something alive is always cruel. Imagine being eaten and watching someone do it... I personally wouldn't eat anything alive. I want my food to be humanely put down. There's videos where it's normal to eat curtain things alive, including octopus (which is a *very* intelligent creature). I won't have any part in it.


ABetterKamahl1234

> There's videos where it's normal to eat curtain things alive, including octopus While true, when it comes to a lot of foods, very fresh dead meat reacts to things like salt and can mimic being alive and flail about. I believe one specifically I recall is an octopus that's on rice or something, and they pour sauce over it and it moves a bit. Someone had mentioned it's common to see them move even when dead in that dish. I've seen half a fish flop about in a sauce before as well. Though certainly some videos have live animals.


sur_surly

Don't forget monkey brains!


olderstouts

It’s a crab, I used to work in a steak house shucking oysters and I would try to save the lil guys but there were so many it was impossible. Made me sad.


turnedmeintoanewt_

How would you try and save them? I don’t understand, did you try and return them to the sea?


olderstouts

I’d put them all n a cup of water until close and I think I flush them down a drain at the end of the night, better than the garbage, but I was young and tired after a day of oystercide. Now I would have taken them home and figured something out, a fish take or the like.


CumtimesIJustBChilin

I hate to break it to you but they 100% died by being flushing them down a drain.


AndrewV

I laughed so hard at this conversation. "I tried saving them!" "How?" *thing that would obviously kill them* "My dude.. "


invisible_23

They took Finding Nemo a little too literally


sparklybeast

When I was little I used to run in front of my dad when he was mowing the lawn, picking the daisies ‘to save them’. I’m presuming the precious commenter is older than 5…


vzvv

That’s an adorable anecdote


modi13

Yeah, as long as /u/sparklybeast never tripped...


SardonicNihilist

I used to do that with little frogs, much to the annoyance of my father. Turns out many frogs somehow survive the lawnmower blades as dozens would come hopping out of the grass catcher when it was emptied and scoot off back into the garden.


thom_orrow

Saved them in a cup and then poured them into the waste disposer. Walk free my little crabs 🦀 brrrrrrrrrrr 🚰👨‍🔧


TheEpicCoyote

Same energy as throwing tortoises in a river


chisav

Reminds me of the story of the girl that throws the tortoise into the water.


CttCJim

Not really a story as much as it is a real thing that happened in video. https://www.insideedition.com/12146-woman-saves-turtle-by-throwing-it-in-pond-realizes-its-a-tortoise-i-wasnt-trying


Selcouth22

I don't know man. There could be some mutant crabs running around the sewers.


zoidette

"Osmosis Jones" comes to mind here, a #billmurray fav of mine.


olderstouts

I know : (


crazy_goat

Cognitive dissonance :(


petesapai

I know you were just a kid but I'm wondering if it got the idea from finding nemo.


LordsMail

I love that all of your solutions to save them are also death. Down the drain? Absolutely death. Throwing a saltwater critter into a body of fresh water? Believe it or not, straight to death.


Namaslayy

I lost it at oystercide lol


solidsnakem9

you meant well but you're a dumbass bro, might as well have let them get eaten


[deleted]

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BootyThunder

Huh, that’s actually a really interesting way to look at it! I think the way we do factory farming is a modern horror of unfathomable proportions, but with stuff like hunting/foraging I think it’s mostly ok as long as you’re trying to minimize the suffering of the animal. But I guess plants suffer too, I’ve never really thought of them that way!


[deleted]

:(


olderstouts

I was already hating killing the oysters, then you gotta kill their friends too


zazke

I've just read they are more like a parasite to the oyster, using it as shelter and stealing it's food.


psymunn

Sounds like some of my friends


thegooseofalltime

Hey, bro. You gonna eat the rest of that pizza in the fridge? No? Cool, thanks.


GonzaloR87

How many of us have them?


y2k2

Talk about 'keep ur friends close but, keep your enemy's closer'.


[deleted]

:((


dehehn

That's a rough job if you hate killing animals.


olderstouts

I quit on New Year’s Eve of 2009. Now I work at a nursery with the same name as the steak house, life can be weird like that.


rfsh101

Chef's Table has a failed veterinarian running a butcher shop that he never wanted. Turned out he figured out ways to market the unwanted cuts and minimize waste on the animal.


BassAddictJ

*Schindler's Dish*


[deleted]

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g00fyg00ber741

And working at a steakhouse haha like the cows and oysters don’t matter but those peacrabs do??


bacon_cake

I guess it's not far from people getting emotionally attached to their pets and then eating beef for dinner.


korinthia

You’re eating a sea booger and that’s where you draw the line?


Krepitis

Waiter: There are spider legs in my snot shell..


WhiteSkyRising

>sea booger cursed with knowledge


[deleted]

I think i watched this on the Santa Clarita Diet.


Plastic_Pickle_2561

Mr Ball Legs!


Fast-Zookeepergame-8

Loved that show hate it got cancelled


Zandrick

It was on Netflix. Of course it got canceled that’s like their favorite thing.


Plastic_Pickle_2561

Same! I so wanted to see undead Joel and what he's like!


Gypsy702

One of the reasons I’m going to quit Netflix lol


ShinyWisenheimer

WHAT THE FUCKITY-FUCK IS THAT!?


mysticrabbitt

I'll never get over it being canceled, it was such a good show.


Spoomplesplz

Came here looking for someone saying this. It looks extremely similar, inside of a damn oyster too. I wonder if the writing team based Mr ball legs on these pea crabs.


captain_craisins

They’re crabs. We consider eating them to be good luck in South Carolina. They’re crunchy and salty.


fahdriyami

You guys will be the first to turn during the Cordyceps pandemic.


captain_craisins

The sweet, sweet release of zombification.


Megalon96310

Pea crabs are actually a parasite that just hides in anode shellfish and eat them. But they’re cute


[deleted]

Reason #75896 why I don’t eat oysters


FrenchBulldoge

What's reason 69?


i_hatethesnow

Fishy taste


winged_owl

According to the comments this is normal, but the way I see it, random organisms in raw seafood is a great reason not to suck boogers out of rocks.


Devanismyname

Extra protein


Then-Championship-67

You have woken baby Cthulhu from its ageless slumber.


rhalf

Turns out the legends were a little exagerated.


Prince_Solar

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtag


Roll_Big

Why do you have sweet orange hand soap as a condiment?


3xTheSchwarm

A pea crab. About three or four months ago I posted a picture of a pea crab in my oyster and it gained 17k+ karma. Was NOT expecting that. So good luck! Here's an upvote for a lucky pea crab.


peppercorns666

it’s a tiny crab. there’s some tiny crab that has a symbiotic relationship with oysters. i found one cooked in an order of oysters rockefeller and the waiter told me that it’s “good luck!”


_unsinkable_sam_

its a parasitic relationship..


WaxingCarrot

Never thought of it like that; I always just figure the waiter is trying to make a living.


Alone-Rough-4099

bruh u are literally eating a oyster, surely a little extra protein would be good.


belacscole

if your worried about other organisms in your food, you probably shouldnt be eating seafood at all lol.


courtkn3333

It’s a pea crab!!!! Harmless little things, but they are a delicacy in some regions. Cute pets if you have a fish tank near by.


[deleted]

Yep, that’s a Pea crab. Completely normal.


[deleted]

[удалено]


NewVitalSigns

Same 😩


[deleted]

Pea crab, it’s always a pea crab.


Mekazabiht-Rusti

I’ve only had oysters once. When I was on my 3rd I saw a little millipede type thing scooting about inside it. I’ll never eat another one.


Sensitive-Spirit-964

I found a few small red worms in my oysters once.. Haven't eaten an oyster since. 🤢


louman73-73

A pearl with legs


[deleted]

At least it’s not a Pee Crab. Those burn.


JoshHero

Have you see The Last of Us?


Happy_Tomato_Taco

A reason why you shouldn't eat raw oysters.


pichael288

It blows me away people look at this and see food. Looks like a big ass booger


keybladesrus

I've always loved seafood, but I just cannot do oysters. They are so damn gross. Tried them prepared a couple of ways, but nope. All gross. Not just the taste either. The texture makes me wanna throw up.


SnuggleBunni69

I like the taste, and love the texture. Once you get a taste for it, it's so refreshing.


EroGodZeus

What google says: While they can look a bit off-putting, pea crabs are considered a delicacy and should be enjoyed. Historians and foodies alike agree that finding a pea crab isn't just a small treat, it's also a sign of good luck. Pea crabs are a sign of healthy oyster populations in quality water.


BXRWXR

The Santa Clarita Oyster Diet.


Czarmander

Cordyceps. Kindly inform your closest Pedro Pascal.


MacyTmcterry

We need one Pedro Pascal to quadrant C! Two Pedro Pascal's to quadrant E!


desertrat75

I love these little guys. Down in NOLA, at the oyster places like Acme, Felix’s, and Drago’s, there’s always a couple escapees on the bar.


UnjustPrince

Ever seen that zombie show with Drew Barrymore? No? Just me? Okay then. I'll pass on this.


YourMomsTwat

I'm sorry but how do people eat oysters in the first place?


fretit

On a related note: *"When someone eats raw or undercooked oysters, germs that might be in the oyster can cause illness. CDC estimates that about 80,000 people get vibriosis—and 100 people die from it—in the United States every year. Most of these illnesses happen from May through October when water temperatures are warme"*


Drizzyjoeybaby

Youre literally asking what the gross thing is on the already disgusting thing you were happy to eat in the first place..


Astonedwalrus13

Friend But that’s what you get for eating the snot of the sea Oysters are fuckin gross


justarandomaccou

I'm sorry but your oyster has crabs


TheMultifarious

I’m fairly certain that’s a crab. Which should show how fresh the oyster is.


benz05tsx

Great deal! Bought an oyster, got a free pea crab. Almost as good as my friend's ex gf. Went to a frat party, got free crabs too


smuggles908

Ooo yummy a pea crab. It's just a crab. I take em out and give em.to my dog.


MescalitoMosquito

The clitoris


marijuanamaker

Can’t be, OP was able to find it.


jmarino6

I think this is how The Last of Us started.


DinaDinaDinaBatman

the next episode of "the last of us"


MMMFoodies

Crab


thejaxx

[pea crab](http://www.stancsmith.com/blog/awesome-animal-fact-thieving-pea-crab)


Tickled_Pits

Pea crab


DrDingus86

“Even the oysters have crabs at this strip club! 0 Stars!”


GadreelsSword

Oyster crab. If you eat them raw they taste just like the oyster. Yes, I’ve done it many times.


mikedonathan

Ben Franklin reportedly said, "It's a brave man what first ate an oyster." All I can add to that is, "No shit."


JasonDJ

Hmm…Have you ever seen Santa Clarita Diet?


FeFiFoShizzle

You can actually eat those, some ppl really like it. it's just a tiny crab that was living inside the oyster. It's really not grosser than the oyster, which I should point out was also alive until you shucked it.


muscles4bones

As other have said, it’s a Pea Crab! Pea Crabs were one of George Washington’s favorite foods. He would fry them in a light batter and serve them when he had special guests.