Crustacean
Deep-sea pink shrimp
Parapenaeus longirostris
Out of season
—
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
2,4 cm (Lcephalothorax)
Minimum size
Description
This is a shrimp with a slender body. Its rostrum is distinctive: it is long, slightly curved upward at the tip, and bears teeth only along the upper edge (7 to 8 teeth). Its carapace features a clearly visible hepatic spine and a longitudinal suture (the branchiostegal suture) that runs the entire length of the carapace. Its coloration is a pale orange-pink or salmon, almost translucent. Unlike tiger shrimp, it lacks dark bands, but its digestive tract is often visible through the back. Females reach a maximum size of 18 to 19 cm, while males are smaller, generally not exceeding 14 cm.
Habitat
It is a deep-sea benthic species. It lives on the continental slope. It particularly prefers muddy or sandy-mud bottoms. It is generally found at depths of 100 to 400 meters, but it can go as deep as 700 meters.
Distribution
It is widespread in the eastern Atlantic and throughout the Mediterranean. It is found from southern Portugal to Angola. It is also found on the other side, in the western Atlantic (from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico). It is extremely abundant in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the Alboran Sea, around Sicily, in Tunisia, and in the Adriatic Sea.