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Brown shrimp

Brown shrimp

(Farfantepenaeus aztecus)

The range of the brown shrimp extends from Massachusetts through Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is commonly found in estuaries and inshore coastal waters to depths of about 360 feet, usually in areas with muddy bottoms. The post larval and early juvenile life stages inhabit lower salinity areas of estuaries.

The brown shrimp is an important commercial species in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. It is particularly abundant around the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

You will have the opportunity to closely observe brown shrimp in the touch pool in the Georgia Explorer gallery.

Fun Facts

  • The brown shrimp and its close relatives, the white shrimp and pink shrimp, constitute most of the landings of shrimp caught in U.S. waters.
  • Adult brown shrimp reach 7 to 9 inches in length. Males generally are smaller than females.
  • Adults and juveniles stay close to the bottom and burrow into the sediment to escape predation.
  • This shrimp consumes both plant and animal material.
  • Salt marsh and mangrove areas of estuaries play a vital role in the life cycle of brown shrimp.
  • Download full fact sheet

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