Whiteleg shrimp

Whiteleg shrimp live in the Pacific Ocean.

They like warm water to grow. They can live in salt water. They can also live in fresh water.

Many people farm these shrimp for food. This is called aquaculture. Most shrimp we eat are farmed.

Some shrimp live deep in the sea. Young shrimp live near river mouths.

They are a very important food for us.

Whiteleg shrimp live in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They can be found from Mexico to Peru. These shrimp like warm water. They grow best when the water is between 22 and 35 degrees Celsius.

Many people farm these shrimp for food. This is called aquaculture. In 2017, white shrimp made up 80% of all shrimp produced. Most of these come from farms rather than the wild ocean.

Farming shrimp can be hard. Many diseases can hurt the shrimp. One type of sickness is called white spot syndrome. To help, farmers use probiotics. These are tiny living things that help keep the water clean. Probiotics also help the shrimp stay healthy.

Shrimp have a way to fight germs. They use cells in their blood to do this. Some cells eat the germs. Other parts of the blood help the shrimp fight off sickness. This helps them stay strong in their water.

The whiteleg shrimp is a special kind of prawn. You might know it as the Pacific white shrimp or the king prawn. These creatures live in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They can be found from Sonora in Mexico down to northern Peru. Many people catch them in the wild or farm them for food. In 2017, they made up 80% of all shrimp produced in the world.

These shrimp have very specific needs to stay healthy. They are euryhaline, which means they can live in water with different amounts of salt. They grow best when the salt level is between 15 and 25 parts per thousand. They also need warm water to grow well. The best temperature for them is between 22 and 35 degrees Celsius. They also need enough oxygen in the water to breathe.

People began farming these shrimp in the late 20th century. This started in 1973 in Florida using prawns from Panama. Since then, many countries have improved how they grow them. They made better food and better ways to keep the shrimp cold. In the 2000s, Asia began farming them too. Now, countries like China and Vietnam are major places for packing them.

Farming shrimp is a huge business with many facts to know. In 2018, the market value for white shrimp was 30 billion dollars. By 2004, they produced over 1 million metric tons. However, farming can be hard because of diseases. Some sicknesses, like white spot syndrome, cause big losses. Farmers now use probiotics to keep the water clean and help the shrimp stay strong.

Even though they are popular, we must be careful with them. In 2010, Greenpeace added them to a red list. This list is for seafood that might hurt nature. Some farming can destroy mangrove forests. It can also lead to overfishing of young shrimp in the wild. We can learn a lot by studying how they live and how we grow them.

The whiteleg shrimp, known scientifically as Litopenaeus vannamei, is a major species of prawn. It is also called the Pacific white shrimp, king prawn, or white shrimp. These crustaceans are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. They inhabit waters ranging from the Mexican state of Sonora to northern Peru. This species is incredibly important for global food supplies. It is widely caught by wild fisheries and grown in large-scale aquaculture farms.

These shrimp have very specific biological requirements to thrive. They are euryhaline, meaning they can tolerate a wide range of salinity. They can live in water with salt levels from 0 to 40 parts per thousand. However, they grow best when salinity is between 15 and 25 parts per thousand. Temperature is also a critical factor for their survival. They can grow in temperatures between 15 °C and 38 °C. The optimal range for growth is between 22 °C and 35 °C. They are restricted to areas where water stays above 15 °C year-round. They also require dissolved oxygen levels to remain above 2.8 mg/L and a pH near 7.56.

Whiteleg shrimp use a complex immune system to fight off pathogens. Their defense relies on non-specific immune responses. These are divided into cellular and humoral responses. Cellular responses involve haemocytes, which are specialized cells. There are three main types of haemocytes: hyaline cells, semigranular cells (SGCs), and granular cells (GCs). Hyaline cells are the smallest and act as primary phagocytes. These cells perform phagocytosis, which is the process of engulfing particles. SGCs help with microorganism recognition and encapsulation. Granular cells contain prophenoloxidase (proPO) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to fight infection.

Humoral immune responses involve substances found in the hemolymph, or shrimp blood. These include the prophenoloxidase-activating system and various enzymes like lysozymes. The system uses lectins to recognize foreign agents. When haemocytes undergo lysis, or breaking apart, they release these lectins. This helps the shrimp identify pathogens and begin agglutination. Agglutination is a process where particles are clumped together. This multi-layered defense helps the shrimp survive in diverse environments. However, certain diseases can still overwhelm these natural systems.

Disease management is a major challenge in the aquaculture industry. Pathogens like white spot syndrome and Taura syndrome cause significant economic losses. One serious condition is Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome (AHPND). This was formerly called Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) and is caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Because of these risks, farmers are moving away from using antibiotics. Instead, they focus on improving water quality and using probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms added to feed or the water. They help enhance the immune response of the shrimp and prevent large-scale outbreaks.

The history of whiteleg shrimp production shows a massive shift in how humans use the species. In the 20th century, they were mostly caught by Mexican inshore fishermen and offshore trawlers. In 1973, aquaculture began in Florida using prawns from Panama. Since then, production has expanded rapidly through Latin America. Improvements in hatchery-produced larvae and better feed formulations helped this growth. By the early 21st century, Asia introduced the species to their own farms. This changed their focus from black tiger shrimp to whiteleg shrimp. Today, aquaculture production has surpassed wild-caught quantities.

The economic significance of this species is enormous. In 2018, the market value for whiteleg shrimp reached USD 30 billion. By 2004, production had already reached 1,116,000 metric tons. In 2017, global shrimp production was about 5,511,914 metric tons. Whiteleg shrimp accounted for 80% of that total. In 2016, they made up 53% of all farmed crustaceans globally. This makes them a cornerstone of the global aquaculture trade. In 2018, shrimp farming alone accounted for 18% of the total global aquaculture trade volume.

Despite their success, there are environmental concerns regarding their production. In 2010, Greenpeace International added the whiteleg shrimp to its seafood red list. This list identifies seafood with a high risk of being unsustainable. Greenpeace cited the destruction of large mangrove areas as a primary reason. They also noted the overfishing of juvenile shrimp from the wild to supply farms. Additionally, they pointed to significant human rights abuses in some areas. Understanding these connections helps us balance food production with protecting the natural world.