Seafood Sizes, Weights, Measures
This page offers a variety of information relating to seafood sizes, weights and units of measure. In many cases, seafood sizes are not standard and will vary locally. All information is subject to change.
Hard Clams - Quahogs
Number per pound and hinge size below are approximate:
Cherrystone 3-4 per pound 2 inch hinge
Topneck 5-7 per pound 1 1/2 inch hinge
Middleneck 7-9 per pound 1 1/4 inch hinge
Littleneck 10-13 per pound 1 inch hinge
Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
Shucked Size - Number of oysters in a pint
Extra Large or Counts - less than 20
Large or Extra Select - 20–26
Medium or Select - 26–38
Small or Standard - 38–63
Very Small - more than 63
Scallops
Sea scallops and bay scallops are sorted according to size. Counts are expressed as a range. For example, 10/20 means that 1 pound of product contains 10 to 20 scallops. The smaller the size, the higher the counts.
Scallop Sizes
Under -10 (up to 10 pieces per pound)
10-20 (10 to 20 per pound)
20-30
40-80
80-120
120-250
Warm Water Shrimp
* Warm water shrimp are usually sold by count per pound.
* Shrimp sizes are occasionally expressed in names rather than numbers, such as "colossal," "jumbos," and "extra large." These designations are not universally defined or regulated and is open to a wider range of variance than the count system,
* The following is a rough comparison of number of shrimp per pound for each market name:
Jumbo - 8 to 10
Large - 10 to 25
Medium - 26 to 40
Small - 41 to 60
* Fresh Southern Atlantic and Gulf Coast shrimp are sometimes sold in mixed sizes or heads on. These can be excellent values depending on the application, price and freshness. Remember that heads on shrimp yield considerable less meat per pound than heads off product.
* A rule of thumb is that 2 pounds of shrimp in their shells will yield about 1 1/4 pounds when peeled.
* Allow about 3/4-1 lb pound headless shrimp in the shell per person; if the shrimp are shelled, figure about 1/3 to 2/3 pound per person.
Seafood Preparation
How To Clean and Prepare
Seafood For Cooking
These pages have information on how to clean crabs, lobsters, shrimp, shellfish, scaling and filleting fish, de-veining shrimp, shucking clams, shucking oysters, storing and freezing seafood, vacuum sealing systems and other seafood preparation tips and tutorials.
How to Clean and Fillet Flounder
How to Clean and Fillet Tautog
How to Skin and Fillet Catfish
Cleaning, Scaling and Gutting Pan Fish
Fillet Knives and Other Kitchen Accessories