Shrimp

Shrimp is a broad term covering hundreds of species of small decapod crustaceans, found in marine and freshwater environments on every continent. The most commercially important species include whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), and various coldwater species like northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis).

Shrimp are among the most traded seafood commodities globally, consumed across virtually every food culture. They are prepared in countless ways — grilled, boiled, fried, dried, fermented, or eaten raw. In Australia, the term “prawn” is far more commonly used, though “shrimp” appears in imported products and international contexts.

Both wild-caught and farmed shrimp are major global industries. Wild shrimp fisheries operate in every ocean, while shrimp aquaculture — concentrated in Southeast Asia and Latin America — has grown enormously since the 1980s and now accounts for more than half of global supply.