What are sand fleas on 'Deadliest Catch'? Fans have heard about them for years and they are able to be present in a couple of key areas in the U.S.
The fishermen on Deadliest Catch are up towards a lot. Not handiest do they have to handle tough prerequisites at sea, however they continuously need to cope with sand fleas too. But what are sand fleas, you ask? Despite the name, they don't seem to be small insects that trojan horse seashore dwellers as they sunbathe.
Instead, they're an enormous nuisance for the crew on Deadliest Catch. And if you've been with the show since the starting, you will have heard of them prior to.
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If you have not heard the title sand fleas on Deadliest Catch, then possibly you have heard the solid consult with them as sea lice. Either means, while sand fleas will also be helpful as bait in some circumstances, other instances they make catching some fish and crabs reasonably challenging. The latter is what the cast has faced on the show.
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So, what are sand fleas on 'Deadliest Catch'?
Sand fleas, which are often known as mole crabs, are tiny crab-like crustaceans that also resemble a beetle. They burrow in the sand, eat shrimp, and also attach themselves to other sorts of fish. They can be used for bait if you are having a look to catch fish just like the pompano, sheepshead, and redfish. But for the oldsters on Deadliest Catch, sand fleas supply just a little of an issue.
Over the years on the display, viewers have noticed sand fleas be the downfall of crab hauls. Back in Season 7, for example, some of the crews found a handful of sand fleas at the bottom of a crab lure and realized that the sand fleas ate lots of the crab bait, thereby dwindling down that day's catch in a couple of different traps.
Sand fleas are interested in shrimp and they incessantly consume striking shrimp bait. And if there's no bait in a crab pot, then crabs would possibly not move in.
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Can you consume the sand fleas from 'Deadliest Catch'?
While sand fleas make for nice bait themselves, they are additionally eaten in some portions of the world. According to AmericanRestaurant.com, sand fleas are cooked and eaten even supposing they are considered larvae and so they contain some bacteria. The site explains that you want to prepare dinner them properly to get rid of the parasites they will elevate.
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In order to try this, you must wash them by hand after which boil them to further remove anything else that can be damaging for consumption. Then, you'll be able to fry or batter and deep fry them and devour them. And in a reddit thread about sand fleas, or mole crabs, some redditors explained that they taste very similar to soft shell crabs.
But, one reddit shared, "It's only worth it to eat the bigger ones. Take the main shell off, toss in a coating, and cook in butter. Top with a twist of lemon."
While we highly doubt the cast of Deadliest Catch wants to consume any of the sand fleas they come throughout, which make their task even harder, at least that risk is a small upside to dealing with the critters.
Watch Deadliest Catch on Tuesdays at Eight p.m. EST on Discovery.
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