Deveining is the removal of the gastrointestinal tract of a shrimp, a common part of preparing them for eating. The digestive track is a dark band running from the head to the tail of the animal, where the spine would be if they were vertebrates. In females the reproductive canal is also in the same area. The gastrointestinal tract or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. ... Superfamilies and families Alpheoidea Alpheidae - snapping shrimps Barbouriidae Hippolytidae Ogyrididae Atyoidea Atyidae Bresilioidea Agostocarididae Alvinocarididae Bresiliidae Disciadidae Mirocarididae Campylonotoidea Bathypalaemonellidae Campylonotoidae Crangonoidea Crangonidae Glyphocrangonidea Galatheacaridoidea Galatheacarididae Nematocarcinoidea Eugonatonotidae Nematocarcinidae Rhynchocinetidae Xiphocarididae Oplophoroidea Oplophoridae Palaemonoidea Anchistioididae Desmocarididae Euryrhynchidae Gnathophyllidae Hymenoceridae Kakaducarididae Palaemonidae Typhlocarididae Pandaloidea Pandalidae Thalassocarididae Pasiphaeoidea Pasiphaeidae Procaridoidea Procarididae Processoidea... The vertebral column seen from the side Different regions (curvatures) of the vertebral column The vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of vertebrae situated in the dorsal aspect of the abdomen. ... Vertebrata is a subphylum of chordates, specifically, those with backbones or spinal columns. ...

The vein is relatively easy to remove. One must first cut a slit in the shell and the back of the animal. Special deveining tools are sometimes used, but most people just use a small knife. The vein is strong enough that when pulled it usually comes out in its entirety.

Removing the vein is not essential, as it is not poisonous and is mostly tasteless. Deveining does slightly change the flavour and makes it more consistent. However, aesthetically the vein does not look appealing. Shrimp also sometimes consume small amounts of sand by accident and the vein thus might be gritty. For females the reproductive canal contains roe that is highly prized by some, but others dislike it. With small shrimp the vein is barely detectable and is rarely removed. Salmon roe at the Shiogama seafood market in Japan Look up Roe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Roe is the fully ripe egg masses of fish and certain marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins and shrimp. ...