Pacific white shrimp, King prawn
Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei, synonym Penaeus vannamei), also known as Pacific white shrimp or King prawn, is a species of prawn of the eastern Pacific Ocean commonly caught or farmed for food.
L. vannamei grows to a maximum length of 230 mm (9.1 in), with a carapace length of 90 mm (3.5 in). Adults live in the ocean, at depths to 72 m (236 ft), while juveniles live in estuaries. The rostrum is moderately long, with 7–10 teeth on the dorsal side and two to four teeth on the ventral side.
Whiteleg shrimp are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Mexican state of Sonora to as far south as northern Peru. It is restricted to areas where the water temperatures remain above 20 °C (68 °F) throughout the year.
