A female coonstripe shrimp may reach a total length of 14 cm but the usual length is 7.5 to 10 cm. Otherwise, it inhabits sand or gravel bottoms, usually where a rapid tidal current flows. The coonstripe ranges from Sitka, Alaska, to near San Diego, and a continuing productive trap fishery is carried out in Sooke Harbour. Through the nights of late summer and early fall near Sidney and elsewhere around the Saanich Peninsula, sportsmen pursue the coonstripe with baited ring traps and dip nets. Shrimps of this species function as males during the first and second years, and as females in their second and third years.
Some individuals mature first as females never functioning as males.
Females with eggs may be found year-round, but the main season is from November to April. All six shrimp species are fished from shallow to moderate depths ranging from 27 to 201 m. Those species generally found on muddy or sandy bottoms are fished with a bag-shaped net or trawl. The trawl net is conical, open at the mouth and tapering to an apex at the other end. As the net is towed along the bottom, shrimps are gathered into the mouth of the net, thus passing into the apex, or cod end.