Whiteleg shrimp

Litopenaeus vannamei

Whiteleg shrimp are pale Pacific shrimp that use coastal waters and estuaries. They are widely farmed, but the species originated in the eastern Pacific.

Not a fish · an aquatic neighbor

Water

Saltwater + Brackish

Coastal marine waters, estuaries, lagoons, and muddy bottoms.

Temperature

Range not established

A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not established from the reviewed sources, so both values are null.

Size

Up to about 23 cm (9 in)

About the length of a school ruler

Lifespan

Best-supported wild lifespan is not established.

Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.

01 · Signature adaptation

What does it do?

Young shrimp grow in estuarine nursery areas before adults move offshore to reproduce. Like other shrimp, they molt as they grow and are vulnerable while soft-shelled.

Its superpowerThey tolerate broad changes in salinity during their coastal life cycle.

02 · Home coordinates

Where does it live?

Eastern Pacific from northern Mexico to northern Peru.

Regions: Eastern Pacific · Pacific coast of the Americas

03 · The menu

What does it eat?

Larvae feed on plankton while juveniles and adults graze and scavenge on the bottom.

Omnivore: detritus, algae, microorganisms, small invertebrates, plankton.

04 · Remember this

Two wow facts

Coastal nursery

Its young commonly develop in estuaries and other low-salinity coastal habitats.

Sources [1]

Farming favorite

Its fast growth and tolerance of varied conditions have made it a major aquaculture species.

Sources [1]