thumb|Global aquaculture production of Whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) in million tonnes from 1980 to 2022, as reported by the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]]

Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei, synonym Penaeus vannamei), also known as Pacific white shrimp or King prawn or White shrimp, is a species of prawn of the eastern Pacific Ocean commonly caught or farmed for food.

Description

Litopenaeus vannamei grows to a maximum length of , with a carapace length of .

Distribution and habitat

Whiteleg shrimp are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Mexican state of Sonora to as far south as northern Peru. It is a euryhaline tropical shrimp species capable of growing in salinities ranging from 0 to 40‰, with the optimal salinity for growth being between 15 and 25‰. The optimal pH for white shrimp is approximately 7.56, and dissolved oxygen levels should be maintained above 2.8 mg/L. Whiteleg shrimp can grow in water temperatures ranging from 15 °C to 38 °C, with the optimal growth temperature between 22 °C and 35 °C; it is restricted to areas where the water temperatures remain above throughout the year.

In Latin America, the cultivation of L. vannamei expanded with improvements such as the availability of hatchery-produced larvae, advances in feed formulation, modernization of farming techniques, development of freezing facilities, and establishment of market distribution channels. From Mexico to Peru, most countries developed large production areas in the 70s and 80s.

Ecuador has become one of the world’s leading producers of whiteleg shrimp.

By 2004, the production of white shrimp had reached 1,116,000 metric tons, surpassing that of black tiger shrimp. According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), shrimp farming accounted for 18% of the total global aquaculture trade volume in 2018. In 2017, the global shrimp production was approximately 5,511,914 metric tons, with white shrimp accounting for 80% of the total production.

Litopenaeus vannamei have been cultivated indoors through a recirculating aquaculture system in Downey, California.

Weather effect

Normally, there are peaks of production during the warm El Niño years, and reduced production during the cooler La Niña years. The effect is on ocean caught as well as on aquaculture origin.

Diseases

Litopenaeus vannamei farming has been affected by several pathogens, which have caused significant economic losses in the shrimp aquaculture industry. There are several known diseases. Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio alginolyticus are also among the commonly found Vibrio species.

In aquaculture, the use of antibiotics or chemical agents has been associated with environmental pollution and drug residue concerns. As a result, practices have increasingly shifted toward improving pond conditions and enhancing the immune response of white shrimp. Approaches such as water quality management, incorporation of probiotics into feed, and application of immunostimulants have been reported to be effective in reducing the risk of large-scale disease outbreaks. Probiotics have been widely applied in feed and aquaculture environments to improve water quality and enhance the immunity of cultured organisms, thereby reducing disease incidence and helping prevent outbreaks.

Impact on nature

In 2010, Greenpeace International added the whiteleg shrimp to its seafood red list.

This lists fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries. The reasons given by Greenpeace were "destruction of vast areas of mangroves in several countries, overfishing of juvenile shrimp from the wild to supply shrimp farms, and significant human rights abuses".

Immune mechanism

Crustaceans primarily rely on non-specific immune responses, which can be further categorized into cellular immune responses and humoral immune responses.

  • Cellular immune responses: cellular components include all reactions mediated directly by haemocytes, such as phagocytosis, encapsulation, and nodule formation. Crustacean haemocytes are commonly classified into three distinct types: hyaline cells, semigranular cells (SGCs), and granular cells (GCs). Hyaline cells, the smallest of the three haemocyte types, are agranular and function as the primary active phagocytes.
  • Humoral immune responses It also includes substances present in the hemolymph that recognize foreign agents and initiate immune responses, such as lipopolysaccharide- and β-1,3-glucan-binding protein (LGBP), lectins, clotting agents, and Toll-like receptors. Upon hemocyte lysis, lectins are released, which contribute to pathogen recognition and assist in phagocytosis and agglutination.

See also

  • Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the giant freshwater prawns
  • Pandalus borealis, Canadian northern prawns

References

  • Thailand's White Shrimp Revolution