# Scallop myth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793 "2004-01-16T17:07:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/41 "2011-08-24T13:23:14Z")
pssst!, just in case you missed it: **G** eneral **O** verseer and **D** esigner ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/42 "2011-08-24T14:30:58Z")
In Florida, we have problems with Tilapia being sold as grouper. Lots of [imposter](http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-04-03/news/os-orlando-fish-fraud-20110403_1_white-tuna-escolar-grouper) [fish](http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/07/imposter_fish.html) being sold. The shadier restaurants do this because a Tilapia meal might go for (depending on the type of restaurant and other variables) anywhere from $5/meal to $15. Meals including grouper go for more like $20-$25/meal. There’s quite a profit margin in it, especially if you smother the fish with coatings and sauces. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/43 "2011-08-24T14:34:10Z")
> [@Moirai](#): > > \ > > ETA- I live at the coast and have eaten seafood weekly all my life, and I have never heard of shark being sold as swordfish. But my anecdotes do not constitute data. 🙂 Here’s some [actual data](http://www.puritan.com/vf/healthnotes/hn_live/Food_Guide/Swordfish.htm) for you. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/44 "2011-08-24T14:38:30Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > My Biology 102 teacher told me this as well, although I haven’t gotten any confirmation on it. If it’s a myth, it’s a persistant one. Came here to say this. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/45 "2011-08-24T15:46:11Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > BOTH names are made up: Patagonian Toothfish is made up; Chilean Sea Bass is made up. There is no\*\* G\*\*eneral **O** verseer and **D** esigner of fish and/or fish names. > > . Well, of course. All names are just made up, at some point. But if you start calling a cow a Cuddinator for marketing purposes, most people will agree that it’s really just a cow. The name that was in prior common use is generally seen as more legitimate. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/46 "2011-08-24T15:50:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Maybe so, but there probably is a meaningful distinction between established colloquial names and those that have been dreamed up specifically for the purpose of marketing. Both names were dreamed up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/47 "2011-08-24T16:04:57Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Both names were dreamed up. 😉 I didn’t say they weren’t. I said the two names have different enough backgrounds that it might matter ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/48 "2011-08-24T16:39:50Z")
I didn’t say it didn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/49 "2011-08-24T20:10:48Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > In Florida, we have problems with Tilapia being sold as grouper. Lots of [imposter](http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-04-03/news/os-orlando-fish-fraud-20110403_1_white-tuna-escolar-grouper) [fish](http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/07/imposter_fish.html) being sold. > > The shadier restaurants do this because a Tilapia meal might go for (depending on the type of restaurant and other variables) anywhere from $5/meal to $15. Meals including grouper go for more like $20-$25/meal. There’s quite a profit margin in it, especially if you smother the fish with coatings and sauces. I tend to agree with this-tilapia has a very muddy taste-but oddly enough, when deep fried (as for fish and chips) it is very good. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793/50 "2011-08-25T00:11:16Z")
^ sheesh, why order a grouper if you can’t identify it? a small grouper is more head and mouth than body. a tilapia is more body than head (with a smaller mouth.) a grouper has a roundish body cross-section. a tilapia is flattish. a grouper is basically scaleless while a tilapia has that unmistakable pattern on the skin telling you it was scaled. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scallop-myth/224793.md?page=2)