Brown Shrimp

Western Atlantic: Atlantic coast of U.S.A. from Massachusetts to Texas; east coast of Mexico from Tamaulipas to Campeche.

Maximum total length 195 mm (male), 236 mm (female).

Depth 4 to 160 m, highest densities between 27 and 54 m.Bottom mud or peat, often with sand, clay or broken shells.Salinity: the adults are marine, the juveniles estuarine and marine.

Off North Carolina this is the most important Penaeus species. Also along the north and east coast of the Gulf of Mexico it is of great commercial value, although sometimes surpassed by P. setiferus ; the grounds off Texas are by far the most important. In 1976, 61 873 t of the species were landed in the U.S.A. Aquaculture experiments with P. aztecus have been undertaken in the U.S.A. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 61 206 t. The countries with the largest catches were USA (61 206 t).