Can vegetarians eat seafood?

According to Ask Dr. Sears, there are several types of vegetarian diets, some of which allow seafood. Pesco-vegetarians eat everything except meat and poultry, including fish, dairy products, eggs and plant foods.

Some strict vegetarian diets do not allow seafood at all. Ask Dr. Sears states that a vegan does not eat any food that comes from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs. Lacto-vegetarians do not consume meat, poultry or eggs, but they do consume dairy products. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat everything that lacto-vegetarians eat, but they also eat eggs. Semi-vegetarians follow a mostly lacto-ovo vegeterian diet, but they do occasionally eat poultry or fish.