Got Nature? Blog

Pacific white shrimp, also known as whiteleg shrimp, is a variety of prawn in the order Decapoda. Pacific white shrimp have ten legs on the underside of their carapace (head), ten appendages (pleopods) on their abdomen for swimming, a pair of antennae, and can reach a maximum length of 9 inches (230 mm). Shrimp color can vary slightly depending on habitat, feed, and water turbidity, and tend to range in color from translucent white to reddish-brown. When cooked, they turn pink.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood product in the United States. However, the majority of farmed shrimp is grown in Asia. The Pacific white shrimp is the most common farm-raised shrimp species in the world, and it is well suited for pond and indoor production. In the Midwest and other parts of the U.S., Pacific white shrimp are grown in indoor environmental controlled systems. U.S. farm raised shrimp can be purchased at farmers markets, restaurants, and directly from farmers.

This publication, Pacific White Shrimp, FNR-623-W, is the fifth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Sautéed Old Bay® Shrimp.

Resources:
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), Illinoi-Indiana Sea Grant

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources