Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) can be farmed or caught for food in the eastern Pacific Oceans. Also called King Prawn or Pacific White Shrimp, it is a member of the family Penaeidae exhibiting a faster maturity rate but a shorter lifespan. This decapod is the largest prawn species with an elongated body that is laterally compressed. Their abdomen too is well-developed for swimming. Juveniles prefer estuaries while adults love relatively deeper waters. The legs are white from where it gets the name Whiteleg and other body parts may have varying colors, though translucent-white is more common!
The Whiteleg Shrimp has an overall length between 7”-9.1” (17.8-23.1 cm), body width of 1.1”-1.5” (2.7-3.7 cm), body height of 1”-1.4” (2.5-3.5 cm), and weight between 1-2.8 oz (30-80 g). The typical lifespan of the Whiteleg Shrimp is between 1-2 years.
Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) can be farmed or caught for food in the eastern Pacific Oceans. Also called King Prawn or Pacific White Shrimp, it is a member of the family Penaeidae exhibiting a faster maturity rate but a shorter lifespan. This decapod is the largest prawn species with an elongated body that is laterally compressed. Their abdomen too is well-developed for swimming. Juveniles prefer estuaries while adults love relatively deeper waters. The legs are white from where it gets the name Whiteleg and other body parts may have varying colors, though translucent-white is more common!
The Whiteleg Shrimp has an overall length between 7”-9.1” (17.8-23.1 cm), body width of 1.1”-1.5” (2.7-3.7 cm), body height of 1”-1.4” (2.5-3.5 cm), and weight between 1-2.8 oz (30-80 g). The typical lifespan of the Whiteleg Shrimp is between 1-2 years.
