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Giant Red Shrimp

The giant red shrimp is a deep-sea crustacean prized in commercial fisheries. It is found around the world, including across the Mediterranean Sea, in parts of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indo-West Pacific, inhabiting continental slopes and deeper waters.

 

The giant red shrimp lives up to its name with its vivid red coloration, elongated shell, and long antennae. Females grow larger than males, often reaching 17–20 centimeters (6.7 – 7.9 inches) compared to the 13–14 centimeters (5.1 – 5.1 inches) typical of males. Despite its name, it is not a true shrimp. 

This species inhabits depths of up to 1,145 meters (3,756 feet), though it is most commonly found between 400 and 800 meters (1,312 – 2,625 feet). It typically lives on muddy bottoms along continental slopes and sometimes in submarine canyons, where it feeds on other crustaceans, plankton, and fish.

 

 

The primary threat to the giant red shrimp is heavy fishing pressure. Its population remains stable and relatively abundant in some areas, but this highly sought-after species has been increasingly exploited by Mediterranean trawl fisheries and has undergone local extinction previously due to overfishing.

 

 

Management plans and catch limits are critical to mitigate the effects of overfishing and rebuild ocean abundance. Science-based policies are very important to promoting responsible fisheries around the world. Learn more about Oceana’s work to ensure that fisheries like this one are sustainable here.

 

 

  • Bayhan, K.Y., Cartes, J.E., & Fanelli, E. (2015). Biological condition and trophic ecology of the deep-water shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea in the Levantine Sea (SW Turkey). Mediterranean Marine Science 16(1) 103-116. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.867 
  • Cartes, J.E., Fanelli, E., Kapiris, K., Bayhan, Y.K., Ligas, A., López-Pérez, C., Murena, M., Papiol, V., Rumolo, P., & Scarcella, G. (2014). Spatial variability in the trophic ecology and biology of the deep-sea shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea in the Mediterranean Sea. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 87 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2014.01.006 
  • Heras S., Abras A., Palahí A., García-Marín J., & Roldán M. (2024). Genomic Analysis of the Giant Red Shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) Using Next-Generation Sequencing: Set of Tools for Population Studies. Genes (Basel) 15(11) 1360. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15111360 
  • Papaconstantinou, C. & Konstantinos, K. (2002). The biology of the giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) at an unexploited fishing ground in the Greek Ionian Sea. Fisheries Research 62(1) 37-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-7836(02)00254-0 
  • World Register of Marine Species 

 

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