Giant tiger prawn

Penaeus monodon · The giant tiger prawn is a marine crustacean native to the Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to Southeast Asia and northern Australia, and is widely farmed for food.

Also called Asian tiger shrimp, Black tiger shrimp, Black Tiger Prawn, Giant Tiger Shrimp.

Giant tiger prawn
Photo: CSIRO, CC BY 3.0
Giant tiger prawn
Photo: CSIRO, CC BY 3.0
Giant tiger prawn
Photo: Louisiana Sea Grant, CC BY 2.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassMalacostraca
OrderDecapoda
FamilyPenaeidae
GenusPenaeus
SpeciesPenaeus monodon

Where it lives

Warm coastal waters from East Africa and India to Japan and northern Australia.

Fun facts

  • Giant tiger prawns are nocturnal: they burrow into the seabed during the day and come out at night to feed.
  • A female giant tiger prawn can produce around 800,000 eggs.
  • Young prawns live in sandy estuaries and mangroves, then move to deeper waters as adults, down to 110 metres.
  • Females are bigger than males: they can reach about 33 cm long, while males are usually 20–25 cm.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).