Asian Tiger Shrimp
Asian tiger shrimp (Penaeus Monodon) sightings are increasing throughout the Southeast U.S. and Gulf of Mexico. Tiger shrimp are being captured largely in shrimp trawls in estuaries
and the coastal ocean from North Carolina to Texas. The majority of collections
occur in the late summer when tiger shrimp grow larger than the native shrimp species.
Tiger shrimp are capable of reaching over 13 inches and over one-quarter pound.
The preferred depths range from 0-110 m primarily sandy or muddy bottoms.
Tiger shrimp females lay 50,000 to over one million eggs in the coastal ocean which hatch
within 24 hours. The larva migrate into estuaries where they mature into juveniles
and small adults before returning to the ocean to spawn. As with all non-native species, there are concerns over the potential for novel avenues of disease transmission and competition with native shrimp stocks, especially given the high growth rates and comparable (to native shrimp species) spawning rates. In partnership with the
United States Geological Survey (www.usgs.gov) and various state and non-governmental
institutions, NOAA is assessing the status of the tiger shrimp invasion and the
- Biology and ecology assessments
- Ecological impacts
- Population monitoring
- Outreach and education
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