REFEREVTCO?Y 

Do Not Remove from the Library 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife c.er\.lir.e 

FWSIOBS-82111.20 National Wetlands Keseorc!~ Lenwr 

September, 1984 

TR EL-82-4 

700 Coj un Dome Bouletard 

~ofoyette, Louisiana 70506 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) 

WHITE SHRIMP 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterwavs Ex~eriment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
FWS/OBS-82/11.20 

TR EL-82-4 

September 1984 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) 

WHITE SHRIMP 

Robert J. bluncy 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Pgississ ippi Cooperative Fish and Wild1 ife Research Unit 

P.O. Drawer BX 

rlississippi State University 

I~lississippi State, PIS 39762 

Project Manager 

Larr.y Shanks 

Project Officer 

John Parsons 

National Coastal Ecosystems Tearn 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Sl idel 1, LA 70458 

Per formed for 

Coastal Ecol oqy Sroup 

Waterways Experi~iient Station 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

and 

National Coastal Ecosyste~ns Tearn 

Division of Biological Services 

Research and Development 

Fish and \lildlife Service 

1J.S. Department of the Interior 

Hashington, DC 20240 
This series should he referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19-. Species profiles: life histories 

and envi ronmental requi rements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. !I. S. 

Fish Idildl. Serv. FWS/OBS-82/11. 1J.S. Amy Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile should he cited as follows: 

rluncy, R. J. 1984. Species profiles: 1 ife histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) -- white 

shrimp. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. FWS/OBS-82/11.20. 1J.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-8?-4. 19 pp. 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, 

principally fish, of sport, commercial , or ecological importance. The profil es 

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brief 

comprehensive sketch of the bi 01 og ical characteristics and environmental requirements of the species and to describe how populations of the species may be 

exqected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Each 

profile has sections on taxonomy, 1 ife history, ecological role, environnental 

requirements, and economic importance, if appl icabl e. A three-ring binder is 

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. This 

project is jointly planned and financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to one 

of the fol 1 owing addresses. 

Information Transfer Special ist 

National Coastal Ecosys tems Team 

U.S. Fish ahd Wild1 ife Service 

NASA-Sl idel 1 Cornpu ter Compl ex 

1010 Gause Boul evard 

Sl idel 1, LA 70458 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention : WESER-C 

Post Office Box 631 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 
CONVERSION TABLE 

Metric to U.S. Customary 

Mu1 tiply !!L To Obtain 

mil 1 imeters (mn) 

centimeters (an) 

meters (m) 

ki 1 meters ( km) 

square meters (mL) 10.76 

square ki 1 meters ( km2) 0.3861 

hectares (ha) 2.471 

liters (1) 

cubic meters (m3) 

cubic meters 

mil 1 igrams [mg) 0.00003527 

grams (g) 0.03527 

kil ograms (kg) 2.205 

metric tons (t) 2205.0 

metric tons 1.102 

ki 1 ocal ori es ( kcal ) 3.968 

inches 

inches 

feet 

mil es 

square feet 

square miles 

acres 

gal 1 ons 

cubic feet 

acre- feet 

ounces 

ounces 

pounds 

pounds 

short tons 

British thermal units 

Celsius degrees 1.8("C) + 32 Fahrenheit degrees 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

inches 25.40 

inches 2.54 

feet (ft) 0.3048 

fa thoms 1.829 

miles (mi) 1.609 

nautical miles (mi) 1.852 

square feet (ft2) 

acres 2 

square miles (mi ) 

gal 1 ons ( gal ) 

cubic feet (ft3) 

acre- feet 

mil 1 imeters 

centimeters 

meters 

meters 

kilometers 

ki 1 ometers 

square meters 

hectares 

square kilometers 

3.785 1 i ters 

0.02831 cubic meters 

1233.0 cubic meters 

ounces (oz) 28.35 

pounds (Ib) 0.4536 

short tons (ton) 0.9072 

British thermal units (Btu) 0.2520 

grams 

ki 1 ograms 

metric tons 

ki 1 ocal ori es 

Fahrenheit degrees 0.5556("F - 32) Celsius degrees 
CONTENTS 

Page 

PREFACE ................................................................. i i i 

CONVERSION TABLE ........................................................ iv 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................... vi 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE .............................................. 1 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTI FICATION AIDS ............................................ 3 

REASONS F3Q 1:ICLIJSION IN SERIES .......................................... 7 

LIFE HISTORY ....................................................... 3 

Spawning and Larvae ................................................. 7 

Postlarvae and Juveniles ............................................ 4 

Emigration ...................................................... 6 

Adults ............................................................. 6 

GROWTH ................................................................... 6 

Flortal i ty ........................................................... 7 

Di sease and Parasites ............................................... 9 

THE FISHERY .............................................................. 8 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE .......................................................... 10 

ENVIRONf. IENTAL REQIJ IREMENTS ............................................... 11 

Temperature ......................................................... 11 

Sal ini ty ............................................................ 11 

Temperature-Sal ini ty Interactions ................................... 12 

Substrate ........................................................... 12 

Other Environnental Requirements .................................... 13 

LITERATURE CITED ...................................................... 15 
I am grateful for the reviews and suggestions of Tom 'Iannevender, 

t.li ssissipoi Rureau of Marine Resources, Long Reach, !9i ssissippi ; Stevs 'ieath, 

Alabarna f4arine Resources Department, Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Jack Pullen, 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi. 
Figure 1. White Shrimp. 

WHITE SHRIMP 

Scientific name .... Penaeus seti fer~~s 

(~i nnaeur ) 

Common name ............. 'dhite shrimp 

(Figure 1) 

Other names ........ Gray shrimp, 1 ake 

shrimp, green shrimp, green-ta i 1 ed 

shrimp, blue-tailed shrirrlp, rainbow 

shrimp, naytona shrimp, common 

shrimp, southern shriiip; ilcxico: 

canar6n blanco (Perez-Farfante 

1969). 

Class ....................... Crustacea 

Order ........................ Decapoda 

Family ...................... Penaeidae 

Geographic range: White shrimp inhabit waters along the Atlantic 

coast from Fire Island, New York, to 

Saint Lucie Inlet, Florida, and 

along the Gulf of Mexico coast from 

Apalachee Bay, Florida, to Ciudad, 

Mexico (Pbrez-Farfante 1969). They 

are scarce or absent along the lower 

east and west coasts of Florida. 

Centers of abundance are the coastal 

waters of Georgia, northeast Fl orida, Louisiang, and northeast 

Tabasco and the adjacent waters 

of Campeche, Mexico. Distribution 

in the norther11 Gulf of Mexico 

is illustrated in Figure 2. Yighest 

densities of white shririp in 

gulf waters are off the coast of 

Louisiana in water less than 9 m 

deep (Kl ima et al. 1982). 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFIGATION AIDS 

Lateral rostra1 grooves do not 

extend beyond the base of rostrum in 

adults nor to the posterior margin of 

the carapace in juveniles (Wil liams 

1965); adrostal sulcus is short, extending to epigastric (back) tooth of 

rostrum; gastrofrontal carina is absent; petasma has distal portion of 

lateral lobe-bearing diagonal ridge on 

inner surface, and distal ventrmedial 

corner is rounded. Thelycurn is open 

type; has a n t e r o l a teral ridges turned 

mesially and pair of fleshy protuberances on sternite XI\/. Antenna1 flagella are 2.5 to 3 times the body 

length ( Perez-Farfante 1969). Zamora 

and Trent (1968) reported that the 

keel on the sixth abdominal somite of 

postlarvae is smooth in white shrirnp 

but hears spines in brown shrirnp (P. 

aztecus) and pink shrimp ( P. duoraXqT- - 

Lengths qiven in the following 

sections refer (unless otherwise indicated) to total length. 

REASONS FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES 

The Cul f of Mexico shrirno fishery 

is the most valuable fishery in the 

continental llni ted States. The white 

shrirnp was the major com~nercial shrimp 

in the gulf up to the mid-1930's. 

Brown and pink shrinp often were 

shunned because the flesh was brownish 

and presumably inferior. After World 

War 11, the stigma was overcarle and 

brown and pink shrimp production increased sharply. Yowever, the rnean 

annual whi te shrimp landings of 31.5 

million lb in 1956-74 still made up 

27hf the total U.S. gulf shrimp product ion. 

The white shrimp is not only 

highly valued for hurnan food, hut is 

a1 so a popular bait for hook and line 

fishermen and a major prev of predatory fishes. In 1976 in the United 

States, more than 90,000 commercial 

and sport fishermen used about 60,090 

boats and vessel5 to fish for seven 

species of shrimp (Christmas and 

E t z o l d 1977). 

The major problem of the fishing 

industry is getting maximum yield from 

each year's shrimp stock, which consists largely of shrimp that are less 

than 1 year old. In Louisiana, for 

example, excessive fishing for small 

young white shrimp is c o n t r o l l e d by 

banning commercial fishing for shrimp 

each spring until the shrimp reach a 

certain size (based on average numbers 

per pound). 

The annual level of recruitment 

appears to depend largely on environmental conditions, rather than on the 

abundance of spawning stocks. Shrimp 

management will succeed only if appropriate measures are taken to ~naintain 

suitable estuarine nursery grounds 

(Christmas an3 Etzold 1977). 

LIFE HISTORY 

Spawning and Larvae 

Various localities and times For 

spawning of white shrimp have been 

reported: in oceanic waters 3 to 31 m 

deep in the northern Gulf of flexico 

(Perez-Farfante 1969); in si~nilarly 

oceanic waters of the Gulf of Mexico 

with depths of 9.1 to 55 m, from late 

spring to early fall (St. 4mant and 

I-indner 1366); from late :larch or 

early April until rlovemher, but rnainly 

fro111 Aoril to September in Louisiana 

(Lindner and Anderson 1956); from 

April to 4ugust in shallow water 

(14 m) near Gal veston, Texas (Temple 

and Fi scher 1957). A1 though spawning usually peaks in June or July, 

length-frequency distribution of 

shrimp in com~nercial catches suggested 

two main broods developed in some 

locations and three in others (PerezFarfante 1969). 
Spawninj beqi ns when water temperatures increase in the spring and 

ends with rapid temperature decl ines 

in fall (Lindner and Anderson 1956). 

On the basis of low percentages of 

spent females in tiie popul'jtions in 

June, July, and Auqust, Lindner and 

Anderson (1955) suqgested that white 

shrimp spawn more than once--and possibly up to four tines--during their 

life span. 

Preferreid sal ini ties for spawning 

of at least 27 parts per thousand 

(ppt) were reported by Cook and ?4urphy 

( 1959). 

Sexes are sasily distinguished hy 

the modified endopod of the first pair 

of Dleopods in nales and the open-type 

thelycurn between the third, fourth, 

and fifth pereiopods in fernales 

(Lindner and Cook 1970). Two partly 

fused ovaries extend ,nost of the 

length of the body and, when ripe, 

occupy near1 y a1 1 space not f i 1 led by 

other organs. Copuls tion takes place 

while the shrimp dre in the hardshe1 led form, when the male attaches a 

spmiatophore to the thelycum of the 

fernale. Spermatozoa are believed to 

be re1 eased from the spenrlatophore 

silliul taneously with the expul ;ion of 

the eggs. Yowever, in a study by 

Perez-Farfante (1969), fernales wi thout 

a swmatophore s~awned eggs that 

hatched and yielded larvae that were 

reared to subadul ts; from 0.5 to 1.r) 

mil 1 ion eggs were di scharged per 

spawn. Ripe eggs are 0.192 to (1.3 mm 

in diameter, are spherical and opaque, 

and have a purpl i sh-blue chorion. 

Eggs are discharged directly into the 

water and sink to the bottom (Anderson 1966). Spawning in laboratory 

aquaria occurred only at night 

(Lindner and Cook 1970). 

Eggs hatch ibnto planktonic nauplii 0.3 mm long 'within 13 to 12 hr 

after fertilization (Klima et al. 

1982). The nonfeeding nauplii are 

carried by prevail ing currents while 

they undergo five molts over 24 to 36 

hr to become free-feedi ng protozoea, 

1 mm long (Anderson 1956). Five 

naupl i a1 , three protozoeal , and three 

mysis stages, followed by the first 

mastigopus or first postlarval stage, 

were reoorted by P4rez-Farfante 

( 1959. Johnson and Fielding ( 1956) 

wrote that the metamorphic period exceeded 10 to 12 days, depending on 

food and hahi tat condi tions. 5uhrahnayaln (1971) reported that white 

shrirrlp larvae 1 ive throughout the 

water colu~n. 

Postlarvae and JuvenJl1_es -- 

Early planktonic postlarvae 

devel op offshore, hut some move toward 

i nsliore viaters. Anderson ( 1966) wrote 

that shrirnp are still planktonic at 

the end of two postlarval stages, 

about 15 to 20 days after hatching 

when they are about 5 mm long; however, Wil l i ams (1965) reported that 

white shrimp enter estuaries during 

the second postlarval stage, at about 

7 mm, and then begin a benthic existence. The time between hatching and 

movement to estuaries is ahout 2 to 3 

weeks. 

Favorable currents transport larvae and early postlarvae toward inshore via ters (PPrez-Farfante 1969), 

where they enter tiie estuaries on 

flood tides through tidal passes 

(Renson 1982). Recruitment of postlarvae in Louisiana coincided with the 

influx of water of higher salinity 

(White and Boudreaux 1977). In Texas, 

white shrirnp postlarvae entered estuarine nursery areas froln Vay until 

November, the peak being in June and 

Septevber (Klima et a1 . 1982). St. 

Arnant and Lindner (1966) indicdted 

that white shrimp Dostlarvae enter 

inshore nursery areas from mid-April 

to lnid-November; peak abundance is in 

May to July and again in September and 

October. Baxter and Renfro (1967) 

found two peak qovements of postlarvae 

into Galveston Bay, Texas, during 

summer. 

Duronslet et al. (1972) reported 

that pos tlarval white shrimp were more 
abundant at night at the surface than 

at the bottom of a tidal pass. They 

found no significant depth di fferences 

during day1 ight sampl ing, a1 though 

abundance was lowest near the surface 

(0.8 m deep). 

Christmas et al. (1976) classified shrimp 25 to 75 mm as juveniles, 

but Perez-Farfante (1969) considered 

white shrimp to be juveniles after 

they had developed accordi nq to the 

ultimate rostra1 tooth formula: 4 to 

10 upper and 0 to 3 lower (mode: 8 

upper and 2 lower). Freshly caught 

white shrimp often have widely spaced 

body chro~rlatophores; thus, they are 

lighter colored than pink or brown 

shrimp. GJhen the shriinp are 28 mm 

long, sexes can be distinguished by 

differences in the endopods of the 

first pleopods and in sterni te XIV. 

Peak abundance of ji~venile white 

shrimp occurs in shallow marshes of 

Louisiana 1 to 2 months after maximum 

catches of postlarvae (Gaidry and 

White 1973). On the nursery grounds, 

juvenile white shrimp move farther u? 

tile estuary than do juvenile brown or 

pink shrimp--as far as 160 km in Louisiana and 210 km in northeast Florida 

(Perez-Farfante 1969). Idilliams 

(1958), who evaluated the use of 

experimental substrates by juveniles 

of three shrimp species, found white 

shrimp predominately over or in nuddy 

substrates of loose peat and sandy 

mud; white shrimp laid their long 

antennae above the surface substrate 

when burrowing, in contrast to brown 

and pink shrimp, which often buried 

their shorter antennae. Wil liams 

(1958) speculated that respiratory 

requirements of white shrimp while 

they burrowed and sought cover and 

food influenced their preference for 

muddy or peaty substrate. Juveni 1 e 

white and brown shrimp tended to avoid 

coarse substrate and sought food 

rather than cover in softer bottoms 

(Williams 1953). Shrimp about 8 mm 

long were found in shallow, muddy 

botton waters with low to moderate 

salinity (Anderson 1966). Rul ifson 

(1981) found that juvenile whits 

shrimp aggregated in sandy-muddy substrate but that hrown shrimp sometimes 

displaced them in this habitat. Giles 

and Zamora (1973) reported that brown 

shrimp displaced juvenile white shrimp 

frorn grass cover in experimental 

aquaria. 

IJhite shrimp are usual ly more 

active than brown or pink shrimp. 

Clark and :ail louet (1975) observed 

significantly higher trawl catches of 

juvenile white shrimp (35 to 97 mn 

long) during the day than at night in 

Gal veston Bay, Texas. !dickham and 

Minkler (1975) did not observe white 

shrilnp burrowing , but found they were 

quiescent on the substrate or in shall ow depressions for several hours during the day. 

The growth of juvenile white 

shrimp varies by size, sex, location, 

season of the year, and year (PbrezFarfante 1969). Usually growth is 

slow at water temperatures be1 ow 20°C 

(Etzold and Christmas 1977). 

Postlarvae and juveniles dse estuaries during summer and fall until 

they reach market sizes of 120 to 

160 mm long (Ylirna et al. 1982). Juvenile white shrimp occupied the extreme shoreward waters in Mobile Bay, 

Alabama (Loesch 1976). Open coastal 

lakes and bays may serve as staging 

areas F3r juveniles before they move 

offshore (White and Boudreaux 1977). 

Anderson reported that as juveniles 

grew, they rlloved from shallow :narshes 

into deeper creeks, rivers, and bays 

when they were about 51 mm long in 

June or July (4nderson 1966). White 

shrimp become abundant on the inshore 

fishing grounds by mid-June in Loui siana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and bv 

mid-July in Texas and west Florida 

(Collier et al. 1959). Sampling in 

Alabama in 1977-32 indicated peak 

abundance in July (Steve Heath, Marine 

Biologist, Alabama Yarine Resources; 

pers. commu., Hay 15, 1983). Anderson 
(1966) noted that white shrimp began 

to appear on nearshore shrimping 

grounds by July or August; the largest 

shrimp were nearest the open gulf. 

Emigration 

White shrimp emigration fro!n estuaries appears to be governed by the 

size of the shrimp and the environmental conditions within the estuarine 

system (Kl irna et a1 . 1982). 

When white shrimp reach 121) to 

140 mm (St. hant and Lindner 1966) or 

100 to 120 mm (Etzold and Christmas 

1977), they leave Gulf of Mexico estuaries as waters cool from September 

to December. Howevcr, small white 

shrimp may emigrate to offshore waters 

temporarily in winter and return to 

estuaries when water temperatures 

rise. Emigration in Texas estuaries 

usually extends from late 4ugust and 

September to December--the period during which the offshore can~nercial 

fishery exploits white shrimp (Kl ima 

et al. 1982). Peaks of white shrimp 

emigration from Gal vestorl gay, Texas, 

were correlated closely with decreases 

in water temperature of 3" to 6OC 

and in salinity of 3 to 10 pot (Pullen 

and Trent 1Q69). Senson (1952) reported that white shrimp moving near 

the surface at night tended to school 

during ebbing tides. Offshore move- 

~nents of white shrimp seem to consist 

of randan feeding movements of 16Q km 

or Illore, as well as some inshoreoffshore ~lovernents in response to temperatu re changes (Etzol d and Christmas 

1977). Cold fronts increase rnover~ient 

from inshore staging areas to offshore 

wdters (White and Boudreaux 1977). 

White shrimp along qost of the GIJ~ fof 

Vexico coast exhibit 1 i ttle alongshore 

rnove:rlent except in 1 ower Texas, where 

they may move into Mexican waters irl 

Fa1 1 and winter, and back toward Texas 

waters in sumr~ier (Etzold and Christnlds 

1977). White shrimp, 100 mm long, 

overwintering offshore between Ship 

Shoal and Trinity Shoal, Louisiana, 

return in spring to form a valuable 

spriny inshore fishery (Caidry 1974). 

Adults 

rlale white shrimp have been found 

at progressive stages of maturity at 

different lengths: with joined petosma1 endopods at 105-127 mm; with ripe 

sperm at 118 mm; and with fully developed sper:natophores at 155 mm (PCrezFarfante 1969). The shortest ripe 

female recorded by Burkenroad (1939) 

measured 135 mm; St. hant and Lindner 

(1966) listed 140 mm as the minimum 

length of females spawning in the 

northern Gul f of Mexico. 

In the northeastern Gulf of 14exico, white shrimp moved during fall 

and winter into deeper water and 

toward the mouth of the I.lississippi 

River (Pbrez-Farfante 1969). Anderson 

(1966) concluded from tagging studies 

that the flississippi River outflow [nay 

be a natural barrier to east-west 

movements of white shrirrlp. 

GROWTH 

Growth rates of whi te shrimp vary 

with size, sex, and time of year 

(Pbrez-Farfante 1969). Kutkuhn (1962) 

reported that growth rates were slower 

in coastal waters east of the 'li ssissippi River than off the northwestern 

coast of the Gul f of Plexico. The difference in growth rates delayed the 

peak offshore harvest about a month 

(from October to November). Rate of 

growth in weight, as contrasted to 

growth in length, was low in small 

shrimp, highest in mid-size shrimp, 

arld intermediate in large shrimp. 

Population growth was dynamic and 

difficult to predict from year to 

year. 

White shri~rlp naupl i i undergo five 

mol ts to becorne free-feeding planktonic protozoea. Protozoea grow to a 

length of 2.5 rnln through three protozoeal stages before reaching the first 

mysis stage (Dobkin 1961). After 

three ~nysis stages nnd two postlarval stages, young white shrimp about 

7 mln long enter estuaries, where their 
growth rate is about 1.2 mm per day 

(Mil 1 iams 1965). Johnson and Fie1 ding 

(1956) estimated growth in captivity 

after hatching to be 80mm in 2 

months. Early spring growth is nearly 

identical to the previous summer's 

growth rate of 18 to 30 mm per month. 

Winter growth of shrimp offshore probably averages less than 0.5 mm per 

day (Christmas and Etzold 1977). In 

llobi le Ray, A1 abama, Loesch (1965) 

found that shrimp length increased 18 

to 31 mm during the summer compared 

with 12 to 27 mn in winter. 

White shrimp in Louisiana may 

reach a length of 150 mm, growing 

about 100 mm in 60 days (1.6 mm per 

day) during summer before moving offshore (White and Boudreaux 1977). 

Flarked white shrimp in Gal veston Bay, 

Texas, grew from a length of 9.8 mrn in 

mid-August to 146 mm in late September 

(6 weeks), or about 30% faster than 

reported in lower temperature waters 

along the Louisiana coast (Klima 

1974). In the Gulf of Flexico, lengths 

attained by white shrimp at different 

intervals after hatching were 80 mm in 

2 months, 110 mm in 3 months, 130 mm 

in 4 months, 145 mrn in 5 months, and 

155 mm in 6 months (November). Growth 

was slow from November through March, 

but res1~3ed in spring; white shrimp 

were 173 mm long in May and ready to 

spawn (Anderson 1966). 

The length-weight formula CJ = 

a~~, where \J is weight (q), L is total 

lenqth (mm), and a and b are constants, for whi te shrimp differed 

little between sexes: male, Log W = 

-5.634 + 3.361 Lo9 L; female, I-og 

W = -5.635 + 3.234 Log L; and combined 

sexes, Log W = -5.665 + 3.247 Log I- 

(Fontaine and Real 1971). The slope 

("b") was not significdntly different 

in the three formulas. Christmas et 

a1 . (1975) cal culatel length-weight 

relations for white shrimp 30 to 1114 

mm long as Y = -4.5049 +2.8180 X and 

for shrimp 105 to 199 ml long 6k Y = 

-5.73 + 3.283 X - where Y was weight 

(g) and x W~S t6k67 length. 

Female white shrimp grow more 

rapidly and reach larger sizes than 

ma1 es (Etzol d and Christmas 1977). 

Anderson (1966) 1 i sted a large male at 

182 mm and a female at 197 mm in the 

Carol inas, and Hol thuis (1980) listed 

175 and 200 mm as maximum total 

lengths for males and females respectively. On the basis of the growth of 

marked and recaptured shrimp, Klima 

( 1974) estimated average maximum 

length for white shrimp as 214 mm in 

Gal veston Ray, Texas, and 224 mm in 

nearshore Louisiana. 

Plortal it. 

The yearly abundance of white 

shrimp varies widely (Anderson 1966; 

Chri strnas and Etzol d 1977). Gunter 

(1956) considered 40% mortal i ty per 

week or up to 60% mortality a month to 

be a reasonable estimate for juveniles 

in estuaries. Offshore nortal i ty of 

eggs and larvae is probably higher. 

Christmas and Etzol d (1977) stated 

thdt infomation on lnortality is inadequate to de terrni ne op timal liarvest outside tile nursery grounds. 

They reported that weekly fishing mortali ty was 6% to 17%, natural mortality was 8% to 24%, and total weekly 

rnortali ty ranged from 14% to '24%. 

Mortality rates of white shrimp 

probably decrease with an increase in 

size (Christmas and Etzold 1977). A 

problem in Louisiana has been the high 

catch of re1 ativel y small vhi te shrirnp 

in inshore and estuarine waters (White 

and Boudreaux 1977). Reconimended is a 

closure of the inshore nursery grounds 

(largely estuaries) to trawling to 

decrease the mortality of the smaller 

white shrirrlp before the,y migrate offshore. Estimated catches offshore are 

closely related to the inshore abundance of juveniles (St. Amant and 

Linder 1966; Loesch 1976). 

Because recrui trnent of shrimp into the fishery in any one year is 

independent of the abundance of parent 

; tocks the year before (envi ron~rlental 

conditions are the major factor), 
management should be ained at maximizing recrui t~nent into the fishery 

(Christmas arld Etzold 1977). Secause 

few shriinp live longer than 1 year 

(Anderson 1956; Ylima et ,31. 1982), 

the bulk of the shrimp in the commercial catch is less than 1 year old 

(Etzold and Christmas 1977). 

Iiurricanes have Seen imp1 ica ted 

in major sulnlner losses of white 

shrimp. Kutkuhn (1962) showed that 

hurricanes striking the Louisiana 

coast in summer 1957 cai~s~d unexpectedly high mortalities because of 

higher salinities, destruction of 

habi td t and food supplies, dispersal 

and s trandi ng , and excessive t,u rbulence. Rarrett and Gil lespie (1973) 

reported a 61% drop in the Louisiana 

white shrimp catch in 1961 after 

Hurricane Carla and an 88% drop in the 

August 1969 production in tlississippi 

after Hurricane Camil le. Sudden cold 

fronts a1 so have caused high 111ortal i ty 

of white shrimp in shallow estuaries 

and coastal waters. 

Disease and Parasites 

The extent of rrlortal i ty fro!n 

disease and pollution is not well 

known (Barrett and Gillespie 1973). A 

99% loss of eggs to a microsporidian 

parasite infection of the gonads was 

reported by Gunter (1956). rliddleditch et al. (1980) reported that a 

Vibrio infection of male white shrimp 

prevented fertil ization under laboratory conditions. Extens i ve reviews of 

diseases and parasites of penaeid 

shrimp have shown that viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, aid 

nematodes cause di seases (Lindner and 

Cook 1970; Couch 1978; Overstreet 

1978). Couch (1978) ranked disease 

after predation and periodic physical 

catastrophes as a limiting factor in 

nature and after the meeting of nutritional and reproduction requirements 

in maricul tu re. Overs treet (1978) 

suggested that shrimp mortal i ty attributed to low oxygen may be caused by 

biosymbionts in shrimp. 

The cestocie - Prschi stangllll 

en , which infects the hepatopancreas of adult shrirn~, is of concern 

in the Mississippi So;~nd (Chrisknas et 

a1 . 1976), hut qicrosporidian protozoans probably have more economic 

impact because they cause the rousculature of the shrimp to appear cottony. 

THE FISHERY 

The Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery 

is the most valuable co~n~nercial fishery in the United States. In 1980, 

the catch of 129 illi ion pounds was 

valued at over $302 million (National 

Marine Fisheries Service 1981). Bl omo 

et a1 . (1978) reported that #Gulf of 

Mexico shrimp landings in 1976 composed 83% of the total value of the 

U.5. shrimp landings and 20.3% of the 

total value of a1 1 U.S. commercial 

fisheries. 

Commercial production of white 

shrimp has increased greatly over the 

years. Refore 1932, less than 12 million 1 b of shrimp were landed annually 

in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Barrett and Gillespie 1975). From 1880 

through 1318, the annual white shrimp 

catch averaged 172,000 1 b along the 

Texas coast an3 5.9 million 15 off the 

Louisiana coast (Ylima et al. 1982). 

Cast nets and haul seines were the 

principal gears until the otter trawl 

Has introduced in 1917 (Gunter an3 

Edwards 1969). In 1927, the catch was 

7.4 million 1b in Texas and 26 million 

1b in Louisiana. Frorn 1927 to 1945, 

annual landings (primarily white 

shrimp) averaged 7.8 million 1b in 

Texas and 40.5 million 1b in Louisiana. Brown and pink shrimp were not 

marketed before about 1945 because the 

public objected to their dark coloration, hut the stigma did not last 

long. 

In the late 19401s, large concentrations of brown and pink shrimp were 

discovered in the qulf off the Texas 

and Florida coasts. With pub1 ic 

acceptance of these species in the 
markets, intensive fishing began in 

the 1950's. When the U.S. Bureau of 

Commercial Fisheries began to record 

catch statistics for the entire Gulf 

of Mexico in 1956 (Klima et al. 1982), 

the pink and brown shrimp catch made 

up only 8% of the total shrimp landings in Texas and 22 of the landings 

on the western Florida gulf coast. 

From 1965 to 1975, brown and pink 

shrimp made up 71% of the Gulf of 

Mexico's average annual shrimp catch 

of 127 million Ib, but white shrimp 

made up only 27% of the landings (Barrett and Ralph 1977). 

To facilitate the recording of 

co~nrrlerci a1 shrimp landings, Barrett 

and Gillespie (1975) divided the Gulf 

of Mexico coast1 ine into five areas 

(Figure 2): (1) Key West to Sanibel, 

Florida; (2) Sanibel to Pensacola, 

Florida; (3) Pensacol a to Plississippi 

River; (4) Mississippi River to Texas, 

and (5) Texas coast. They reported 

that the average annual catch of white 

shrimp in 1958-72 was loss than 

1 million 1b in area 1, over 1 mil lion 

1b in area 2, over 3million 1b in 

area 3, over 19million 1b in area 4, 

and over 7million 1h in area 5. 

In 1965-76, white shrimp landings as a percentage of total shrimp 

catches varied in five areas along 

the gulf coast as follows: Apalachicola, Florida, 0.7%; Pensacola to 

Mississippi Sound, 1.6% Louisiana, 

23%; Texas, 9.5%; and western Mexico, 

0.1% (Barrett and Ralph 1977). 

bldtthews (1982) reported that 18% of 

the white shrimp catch for 1981 in 

Texas was in offshore waters. The 

Louisiana fishery consisted priqarily 

(8175) of small white shrimp (68 9r 

more oer pound); the highest catch 

(26%) came from inshore waters of 

Terrebonne and Tinbalier Rays. Catches 

of mall white shrimp were highest 

(13.4% of gulf total) qffshore from 

Vermilion Say, Louisiana. 'rlhi te shrimp 

caught in this area rliay be migrants 

frorn inshore water in the Golden 

Meadow area of Louisiana (Rarrett and 

Ralph 1977). From 1965 to 1975, the 

average percentages of total white 

shrimp catches in the Gulf of Mexico 

that were contributed hy different 

areas were as follows: inshore near 

Go1 den Meadow waters, 10.6% offshore 

waters near Vermilion Bay, 14.3%; the 

offshore waters south of Pecan Is1 and, 

Louisiana, 9.5%; and offshore waters 

off Cameron, Louisiana, 8.7% (Barrett 

and Ralph 1977). 

Inshore and offshore white shrimp 

landings for Louisiana show good direct correlation (White and Boudreaux 

1977). Barrett and Gill espie (1975) 

reported a high positive correlation 

between catch and rainfall in Texas 

but a negative correlation in Louisiana. The differences were related to 

di ffering characteristics of freshwater inflow into estuarine nursery 

grounds in the two regions. 

Production of whi te shrimp exceeds that of brown shrimp in Louisiana's estuaries near the Pearl, Flissi ssippi , Atchafal aya, Cal casieu, and 

Sabine Rivers (Barrett and Gil lespie 

1973). If one uses the 91-rn depth as 

Louisiana's offshore shrimping boundary (Rarrett and Gillespie 1973), 

there are 15.27 million surface acres 

offshore and 3.43 mil lion surface 

acres inshore. As judged by 1967-72 

shrimp landings, Louisiana's estuaries 

annudlly produced at lezst 20.2 1 h of 

shrimp ner acre, of \.rhich 7.3 1b (36%) 

were white shrimp. Estimates of white 

shrimp catch varied frorn 14.8 1b per 

acre south of Golden Meadow, Louisiana, to 0.04 1b per acre in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. 

The management of shrimp fisheries in the Gulf of t~lexico Fishery Conservation Zone was described in the 

ShrimplFi shery %3nagernent Plan imp1 enented by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce (Jones et al. 1982). The five 

Gulf States establish regulations 

governing the white shrimp fishery 

wi thin their territorial waters. The 

goal is to protect the resource and 

yet maximize catches by the various 

user groups (Etzold and Christmas 
1977). Shrimp seasons are establ i shed 

on the basis of inshore shrimp surveys 

that indicate the expected sizes, 

locations, and abundances of shrimp 

swcies using nurseries and moving 

between inshore and offshore shri~ilping 

grounds. Yinimum sizes have been 

established in some states to decrease 

fishing pressure on juveniles. Bottom 

trawls are the basic gear used by cornmercidl , noncomrnercial or sport, aud 

bait shrimp fisheries (Christmas aud 

Etzol d 1377). Juneau and Pol lard 

(1981) found that sport shrir~~ers 

exerted 56% of the total fishing effort and landed 44% of the white 

shrimp harvested froln Vemil ion Say, 

Louisiana, fron October 1977 through 

September 1979. 

The bni t shrimp fishery for 

penaeid shrimp on the inshore nursery 

9 rounds is an important industry 

Christmas et al. 1976): 22,200 1b 

were sold in 4laSama in 1968; 60,317 

1b were taken ii 7 months in Mississippi in 1971; and 676,000 1b were 

talten per year in Gal veston Ray, 

Texas. Live and dead shrimp were the 

rnajor bait used by anglers at a warnwater discharge in Salveston Bay, 

Texas (Landry and Strawn 1973). The 

market value of the bait shrimp taken 

in Mississippi was 3 times the value 

it would have had if sold for human 

food. In 1955, an estimated 53 nillion bait shrimp were taken by the 

bait shrimp fishery along northeast 

Florida (Christrms et al. 1976). 

ECOLOGICAL SOLE 

Larval penaeid shrimp feed on 

zooplankton and phytoplankton. Dobki n 

(1961) reported that Penaeus protozoea fed on green a1 gae~oms, and 

copepods. Cook aud Murphy (1969) 

used cultured algae to feed protozoea 

and newly hatched brine shrimp to feed 

the mysis stages. Christmas and 

Etzol (1 (1977) reported that early 

stages of Penaeus larvae fed on plankton and suspended detritus. Brown 

shrimp feed at the vegetation-water 

interface, ingesting the top layer of 

sedirnent containing detritus, algae, 

and t~icroorgani sms (Lassuy 1983). 

Fecal pel lets can be an important food 

of juvenile shrimp. 

Both juvenile and adult white 

shrimp are o:nnivorous, and the prirnary 

differences in food selection are the 

nature and location of the food selected. Lindner and Cook (1970) concluded that white shrirnp were selective and particulate feeders. In summarizing three studies of gut conteuts, Christmas and Etzol d (1977) reported that rnajor food items included 

detritus, chitin, parts of annelids 

and gastropods, fish parts, bryozoans, 

sponges, coral s, filaments ~f a1 gae, 

and vascular plant stem and roots; 

lipids supplied by annelids are believed to be important for ovarian 

vab~ration (Middledi tch et a1 . 1980); 

canni ha1 i sm is common among juveniles 

and adul ts ( Pbrez-Farfante 1969) ; and 

shrimp body fatty acids are influenced 

by diet in the seasonal food chains 

(Bottino et a1 . 1980). A1 though Brown 

(1977) reported food conversion ratios 

of 1.3 aud 1.9 for white shrirrlp fed in 

two lnarine ponds at Marifarms, Inc., 

Panama City, Florida, Bardach et al. 

(1972) cited production of only 1 kg 

of cultured Japanese (Kuruma) shrimp 

per 10 to 15 kg of feed at optimum 

25°C temperature--leading to the suggestion that the carnivorous nature of 

shrimp and great energy 1 oss in mol ting guarantee inefficient food conversions. In a 204-day energy budget 

calculated for brown siirimp grown fro111 

12.5 to 127 mm, Erahim (1973) showed 

that about 26.4% of the energy was 

used for egestion, 34.5% for respiration, 20.52 for growth, and only 3.9% 

for shedding exoskeleton. Grown 

shrimp were capable of using 44% of 

the organic carbon in test foods. 

White shrimp are 3n important 

food for many marine and estuarine 

fish (Gunter 1956; Pbrez-Farfante 

1969; Lindner and Cook 1970; Benson 

1982). Carr and Adams (1973) reported 
larval and juvenile shrimp to be important food for 13 of 21 juvenile 

fishes occupying seagrass beds in the 

Florida estuaries of the Gulf of 

Mexico. 

White shrimp recycle basic nutrients by feeding on organic matter and 

microorganisms in sediments (Odum 

1971; Carr and Adams 1973). When 

water temperatures and sal ini ties were 

favorable along the Louisiana coast, 

shrimp abundances were greatest in 

waters where substrates had the highest organic content (Barrett and 

Gi 1 1 espi e 1973; Ga idry 1974). Investigators have suggested that juveniles, which tolerate relatively low 

salinity, migrate up estuaries to reduce the effects of competition and 

predation, besides gaining access to 

an abundant food supply (Hedgpeth 

1963; Gunter 1967). 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Temperatu re 

Water temperature he1 ps regulate 

the times and locations of white 

shrimp spawning, as well as rate of 

growth, habitat selection, osmoregulation, movement, and mortality. 

Sudden water temperature increases in 

spring trigger spawning, and rapid 

temperature declines in the fall are 

associated with the end of spawning 

(Lindner and Anderson 1956). The 

growth rate is highest in summer and 

becomes slow or negligible in winter. 

Increased temperature may increase the 

rate of molting, but not necessarily 

the size at mol ting (Perez-Farfante 

1969). Turner (1977) showed good corre1 ation between heating-degree-days 

and ca tchleffort ratio for penaeid 

shrimp, which was similar to correlati ons between yi el d-per-hectare and 

latitude of penaeids. St. 4nant and 

Lindner (1966) reported that water 

temperatures be1 ow 20°C greatly inhibi ted growth, which became practically nil at 16°C. Growth rates increased rapidly at temperatures above 

20°C. Zein-El din (1964) stated that 

temperature and food supply 1 imi ted 

growth of white shrimp postlarvae more 

than did salinities between 2 and 

35 ppt. 

White shrimp have been reported 

to be more tolerant of high temperatures and less tolerant of low temperatures than either brown or pink 

shrimp (Etzol d and Christmas 1977). 

Mortality of white shrimp was reported 

at water temperatures above 42°C and 

below 8°C and was complete at 3°C or 

less, regardless of sal ini ties; survival at 1 ow temperatures seemingly 

depended on rate of temperature decline, the duration of low temperature, and salinity, as we1 1 as on the 

actual temperature (Joyce 1965). 

Wiesepape (1975) found 24-hr 50% 

mortality to be 36°C and 37°C for 

white shrimp acclimated at 29°C and 

34"C, respectively. Postlarval and 

30-mm juvenile white shrimp had somewhat higher resistance times than did 

50-mm juveniles. Temperature to1 erated by postlarvae were higher in 

brown shrimp than white shrimp. 

Sal ini t.y 

Adult white shrimp spawn offshore 

where salinities are at least 27 ppt. 

Larval shrimp are carried shoreward by 

currents until they enter estuaries on 

flood tides--usual ly when they are in 

the second pos tlarval stage. Juvenile 

white shrimp move as far as 160 km up 

tidal streams in Louisiana and up to 

210 km into fresh water (0.26 ppt) in 

northeast Florida (Perez-Farfante 

1969). Juvenile shrimp were found 

160 km upstream from 1.0-ppt salinity 

waters in St. Johns River, Florida, 

from July through November in 1962 and 

1963 (Joyce 1965). Joyce suggested 

that high calcium ion concentrations 

in this river may explain the relative 

ease with which marine species enter 

and remain in low salinity waters. 

Perez-Farfante (1969) reported 0.42 

ppt as the lowest salinity in which 

white shrimp were recorded in the 

northern Gul f of t4exico. A1 though 
fie1 d studies have shown that juvenile 

white shrimp seem to prefer relatively 

low salinities, laboratory studies reveal that they appear indifferent to 

varying sal ini ties since they have 

been reared successfully at 18 to 34 

ppt sal ini ties (Perez-Farfante 1969). 

Sal ini ty is a contributory 1 imi ting factor to the distributioo of 

juvenile white shrimp. Postlarval 

white shrimp were most abundant at 

1 to 5-ppt salinities in Mobile Bay, 

Alabama, and at 5 to 10-ppt salinities 

in Texas (Gunter 1967). Small shrimp 

(15 - 66 mm long) did not fair well in 

41-ppt salinity in the Laguna Madre, 

Texas (Gunter 1961). 

Juvenile white shrimp in Louisiana overwinter in low salinity waters 

influenced by the Atchafalaya River 

(Gaidry 1974). White and Boudreaux 

(1977) concl luded that high Freshwater 

discharges during 1954 to 1971 significantly (P~0.01) reduced white shrimp 

production because larger juvenile 

populations developed in nursery habitats with salinities of 1 to 2-ppt. 

In Texas coastal ~aters, a positive relationship between white shrimp 

productioq and increase3 rainfall has 

been attributed to a sharp increase in 

low sal i n i t y nursery areas. annual 

white shrimp catches in waters off 

Texas from 1927 to 1964 showed ? 

strong statistical correlation (r = 

0.656) with raicfall of the one and 

two preceding years (Gunter and 

Edwards 1369). A high significant 

correlation (r = 0.85) between MayJune freshwater inflow and white 

shrimp catches and ccnmercial laqdings 

was demonstrated by Williamson (1977) 

in 1959 to 1975 in San Antonio Bay, 

Texas. 

Temperature - Sal ini ty Interactions 

Tempera ture-sal ini ty ranges for 

white shrimp vary at different life 

stages, but the interactions are more 

pronounced at the extremes of the to1 - 

erance ranges. Couch (1978) reported 

that a broken-back syndrome appears 

when sudden drops in salinity (from 

15-18 ppt to 3 ppt) combine with cold 

water (8OC). Laney (1973) found 

critical thennal maxima for white 

shrimp to be influenced largely by 

acclimation temperatures, by the size 

or life stage of the test animal, and 

to a lesser extent by sal inity. Freshwater i nf 1 ow may reduce coastal water 

tenperatures, which in turn affect 

growth rates of white shrimp (White 

and 3oudreaux 1977). Barrett and 

Gil lespie (1975) stated that higher 

rainfall and lower air temperature 

in late spring and summer dffect 

distribution and reduce the size of 

white shrimp harvest, a1 though the 

re1 ation be tween white shrimp and 

water temperature is not well understood . Subs tratg 

As previously qentioned, white 

shrimp prefer shal low, muddy-bottom 

substrate. Production and catches 

along the Louisiana coast were highest in areas wi th substrate containing high organic matter (Barrett and 

Gil lespie 1973; Gaidry 1974). Turner 

(1977) found good 1 inear correlation 

(R = 0.69) between intertidal land 

area and average annual shrimp catch 

along Louisiana' s ioshore waters. 

Correlation between brown shrimp 

catches and percentage of saline 

vegetation in Yuisiana was highly 

significant (9 = 0.92). Inshore 

catches and numbers of hect3res of 

vegetated estuaries in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Tampa Bay, Florida 

to Mobile Bay and Perdido Bay, A$abama) showed strong correlation (R = 

0.64). Lassuy (1983) suggested that 

te~rlporal and spatial shifts by brown, 

white, and ink shrimp reduced direct 

competition for preferred substrate. 

White shrimp were reported to burrow 

less deeply than brown or pink shrimp 

into muddy substrates, and to he rnore 

active in daylight. Rulifson (1981) 

and Giles and Zamora (1973) fmnd 

that brown shri,ap displaced white 

shrimp from sandy-muddy substrate and 
qrass cover. Benson (19.42) indicated that postlarval juveniles 

and adul ts tolerate relative1 y ?igh 

turbidities in estuaries. Kutkuhn 

(1966) reported higher concentrations 

of young shrimp in bays with Inore 

detritus in suspension. He suggested 

(Kutkuhn 1962) thdt excessive turbule~ce and re1 ated factors resul ting 

from hurricane-induced high tides 

caused excessive inshore losses of 

white shrimp in Louisiand ir~ surnner 

1957. 

Other Environmental Requi re~nents 

The loss of nursery grounds has 

been considered the lnajor threat to 

the Gulf of Mexico white shrimp fishery (Gunter 1956). Christ~nas and 

Etzold (1977) cited coastal studies 

in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas 

where major a1 terations or losses of 

estuarine si.lrimp nursery hahi tat resulted from dredging and spoil disposal, or inpoundments. Siglane and 

LaFleur (1968) reported that man-made 

canal s in L o u i s i a n a estuaries caused 

increased s3l i n i t i e s and adversely 

affected white shrimp nursery waters. 

Christmas and Etzold (1977) suggested 

that the increases in salinities have 

caused shifts in dominance from white 

shrimp to brown shrimp along the 

central -northern gul f. 

The effects of pesticides and 

pol 1 ution on shrimp populations along 

the gulf coast are also of concern 

(Biglane and LaFleur 1968; Christmas 

and Etzold 1977). Couch (1975) reviewed toxicity and bi ological effects 

on shriinp for large numbers of pesticides, heavy metal s, petroleum products, and chemotherapeutic chemical s. 

Organochloride, 2rganophosphate, and 

carba~nata pesticides, as we1 1 as naphthalenes in petroleum, were toxic to 

shrimp. Cadmium kil led gill cells, 

and accumul a ted ,nercury interfered 

wi th ssrrloregul ation. Trent et a1 . ( 1976) found that mean experilnental 

trawl catches of white shrimp dropped 

be1 ow seasonal averages when di ssol ved 

oxygen was below 3.0 ml/l in a1 tered, 

eutrophic, upland canals ass~cidted 

wi t? housing devel oprnents qear Mest 

Bay, Texas. The m maintenance or loss 

of nurser.y habi tat wi 11 ultimately 

determine the future of gulf coast 

shrimp resources (Christmas and Etzol d 

1977). 

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perpetuation of commercial shrimp 

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Smith, A.Y. Swartz, and w.H. Massman, ed~. A symposium on estuarine 

fisheries. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. 

Publ. 3. 

Landry, A.V., and K. Strawn. 1973. 

Annual cycle of sportf i shing activity at a warmwater discharge into 

Gal veston Bay, Texas. Trans. Am. 

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Laney, R.W. 1973. A comparison of 

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University, Raleigh. 63 pp. 

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1 i fe histories and environmental 

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Serv. Siol . Serv. Program. FWSIOBS82111.1, 15 pp. 

Lindner, I.., and W.U. Anderson. 

1956. Growth, migrations, spawning 

and size distribution of shrim~ 

Penaeus seti ferus. U.S. Fish Wildl. 

Serv. Fish. a111 1. 56:554-645. 

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Synopsis of bioloclical data on the 

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(Linnaeus) 1767. FA0 Fish. Svno~. 

i01. FAO Fish. Rep. 4:1439-i469. 

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Univ. Tex. 10:41-58. 

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Hetabol ic prof i 1 es of penae id 

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Fish. Stat. 8100. 

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50272 -101 

I REPORT DOCUMENTATION '?.-REPORT NO. j 2. 3. Rec#pnent's Accessoon NO. 

/ FWS/OBS-82/11.20 * -- 

4. Title and Subtitle 

- j ----

5. Reoort Date 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements / - .September 1984 - of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) --White shrim; 

- ---- -- - 1 8. Performong Organtzatton Rept. No 

?L Muncv -- -- - -. - 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 

MS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 

P.O. Drawer BX 

Mississippi State University I Mississippi State, MS 39762-5603 

I 

10. Proiect/Task/Work Unit No. 

. - -- - - 11. ContractC) or Grant(G) No. 

(C) 

(GI 

16. Abstract (Llmlt: 200 words) 

-. 

12. Sponsoring rganizati n me and Address 

Nat~onal toastaf !?cosystems Team U.S. Any Corps of Engi neers 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, range, 1 ife 

hi story, and envi rormental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are prepared 

to assist in environmental impact assessment. The white shrimp, Penaeus seti ferus, is 

the second most abundant species in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery, the most valuable 

fishery in the United States. It serves as food for many fishes and is sold in the bait 

industry. Spawning occurs in at least 27 ppt sal inity at water depths of 8 to 31 my from 

April through September. Postlarvae move on flood tides into inshore estuarine nursery 

areas; peak abundances are in June and September. Juvenile white shrimp move farther 

inland than do brown shrimp and prefer shal low water with soft substrate. Growth of 

1.6 mm per day occurs at water temperatures above 20°C before the shrimp move offshore when inshore waters begin to cool in fall. Juveniles and adults return inshore 

when water temperatures increase in fa1 1 or the following spring. Survival at 8" to 

30°C was related to temperature and salinities. Juvenile and adult white shrimp are 

omnivorous, sel ective-particul ate, benthic feeders. Population abundance has been 

correlated with coastal marshes and freshwater inflows. Maintaining suitable nursery 

grounds will decide the future of Gulf Coast white shrimp resources. 

- -- ..-- 

13. Type Of 'Overed 

- - 

17. Document Analysis a. Descriptor3 

1 Growth Feeding 

U.S. Department of Interior P.O. Box 631 . -- 

b. Identifierr/Open.Ended Terms 

White Shrimp Life hi story 

Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg , MS 39180 

Penaeus seti ferus Spawning 

Temperature requirements Habitat requirements 

14. 

IS. Supplementary Notes * 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Report No. TR EL-82-4 

I Unlimited 

7 - -- 

I Unclassified t20.~eiu~lass (This Page) 

18. Ava~labiltty Statement 1 19. Securlty Class (This Report) 

I Uncl &<I f I ed . . (See ANSI-239.10) OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-7 

(Formerly NTIS35) 

Department of Commerce 

21. No. of Pages 
REGION 1 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Lloyd Five Hundred Building, Suite 1692 

500 N.E. Multnomah Street 

Portland, Oregon 97232 

REGION 4 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Richard B. Russell Building 

75 Spring Street, S.W. 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303 

REGION 2 REGION 3 

Regional Director Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

P.O. Box 1306 Federal Building, Fort Snelling 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103 Twin Cities, Minnesota 55 1 1 l 

REGION 5 REGION 6 

Regional Director Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

One Gateway Center P.O. Box 25486 

Newton Corner, Massachusetts 02158 . Denver Federal Center 

Denver, Colorado 80225 

REGION 7 

Regional Director 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

101 1 E. Tudor Road 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERICE 

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our .nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes 

fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources. protecting our fish and wildlife, 

preserving theenvironmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, 

and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in 

the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for 

American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under 

U.S. administration.