One of the most popular seafood is shrimp, but not simple, but royal. Many people know them, often buy them, but not many people know, for example, that they are called king prawns only because of their size. As such, the “royal” species does not exist; several types of large shrimp fall under this name.

Shrimps are warm-blooded and cold-blooded, and it is the cold-blooded ones that are much larger in size and are called royal. Almost all types king prawns have a large head and a much smaller tail. Therefore, they have less valuable meat than, for example, tiger shrimp, but it is much tastier. King prawns can reach a length of 35cm and weigh up to 250g!

Dietary properties of king prawns

Shrimp meat is not very high in calories and is considered dietary. 100 grams of uncooked shrimp contains up to 107 kcal. This is the same as, for example, in potatoes, bananas, lean fish. Interestingly, just in the king prawns there are fewer calories than in small varieties. The low calorie content is due to the fact that shrimp meat contains practically no fat, but it is rich in components of unsaturated fatty acids, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart.

In general, shrimp meat contains almost half of the periodic table of chemical elements. If you eat 100 g of king prawn meat per day, then the need for a daily intake of iodine will be satisfied. Although there is quite a lot of cholesterol in meat, due to the lack of saturated fats, this does not pose a threat to blood vessels.

King prawn shell

If shrimp were harvested immediately after molting, then their shell will be soft and thin, although this does not affect the taste. When buying boiled-frozen shrimp, you need to look at the tail. A curved tail is a sign that after being caught, the shrimp was immediately boiled alive, and it did not lie down. If she has a blackened head, then it is better not to buy such a product at all: blackness indicates that an already spoiled product has been frozen. When cooked, the red color of shrimp comes from a substance called astaxanthin, which is 10 times stronger than any other antioxidant.

Shrimps are so popular in the world that there is even a saying in English that is similar in meaning to our expression "When the cancer whistles on the mountain." were a favorite dish of ancient chefs, but not boiled, but baked or fried.

How to cook king prawns

Usually in stores they sell already boiled shrimp, which are simply frozen later. It is enough to defrost them in the microwave, and the shrimp are ready to eat. If fresh-frozen seafood is available, then you can easily cook it yourself.

To do this, take 1 kg of king prawns, defrost them and rinse. Pour water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add a little salt, a few peas of black pepper, you can throw a sprig of parsley or a bay leaf into the water. Pour the shrimp into boiling water, bring to a boil again and cook for 5 minutes.

It is important not to overcook here, because then the shrimp meat will look like rubber. While the shrimp are cooking, you can prepare several sauces for them. The simplest are a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup and a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice, if desired, you can add a little spice there.

How king prawns are cooked in different countries

Interestingly, shrimp are cooked not only in water. In some countries, such as Italy, seafood is cooked raw in milk or cream. In Japan and China, they are prepared with the addition of green tea. In Russia, some people manage to cook them in beer and even vodka!

Tiger prawns are considered an excellent delicacy among seafood lovers. They grow very quickly, reaching a fairly decent size. These decapods got their name due to the transverse stripes on the body and tail. As for the color of these same stripes, and the shrimp in general, it depends on its variety.

There are many types of tiger shrimp in the world. The most popular of them are ordinary, black and green. All of them are distinguished by juiciness, fleshiness and excellent taste. Interestingly, two-thirds of tiger shrimp are grown on farms, where it is sometimes possible to obtain individuals weighing 1 kg. No wonder these giants are in demand all over the world.

common tiger prawns(lat. Penaeus kerathurus) are found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The largest colonies are found in the Adriatic. Their head is much smaller than that of freshwater king prawns, but the tail, on the contrary, is much larger. Its weight occupies half of the mass of the entire body.

On the tail of ordinary tiger shrimp are transverse stripes. It is curious that in females they are green, but in males they are pink, not at all boyish, in color. True, if you buy these shrimp frozen in a supermarket, you will not find stripes on their body - with the death of a shrimp, its decoration disappears.

They settle at a depth of 40 to 60 meters. During daylight hours, they hide by digging into the sand, and at night they go in search of food. Females reach a length of 9-20 cm. When breeding, they do not need to carry eggs on their abdomen, as they have adapted to lay them on the seabed. Vietnam and Thailand are considered the largest producing countries of common tiger shrimp.

Black tiger prawns(lat. Penaeus Monodon) live in the western Pacific Ocean and off the Atlantic coast of the United States. They are artificially bred in countries such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia. This business is quite profitable, since in farms some individuals reach a length of 36 cm and weigh a whole kilogram.

This variety is distinguished by a black shell and light transverse stripes. Interestingly, black tiger shrimp breed exclusively in their natural environment. To do this, their wild relatives come to spawn in warm coastal lagoons. Naturally, resourceful farmers have long studied all their favorite places for spawning.

When the time comes for breeding, special bamboo poles with algae tied to them are placed in the water. It is around them that young larvae gather. People can only collect them with nets and transfer them to special reservoirs.

Green tiger prawns found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In addition, they penetrated the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, where they successfully multiplied and took root. Their body color is light brown with dark transverse stripes. Scattered throughout the shell are small green blotches of various shapes. Females of this species grow up to 23 cm, they are juicier and fleshier than males.

Of course, the list of varieties is not limited to the three named. Warm sea and ocean waters have also become a haven for brown (lat. Panaeus esculentus), Japanese (lat. Panaeus Japonicus) and blue (lat. Penaeus stylirostris) tiger prawns.

Shrimp are popular among gourmets due to their nutritional value and year-round availability. They are not only eaten separately, but also added to salads and snacks. Shrimps are widespread in all the world's seas and many species live in fresh water. These are small crustaceans, the size of which does not exceed 30 centimeters. In Russia, shrimp are mainly found in the Far East, where there are over 100 species of them. But commercial shrimp are usually divided not by species, but by the size of individuals, it is sorted by size that they go on sale. But the smallest species (up to 7 cm) are deep-sea shrimps.

The history of eating shrimp goes back many centuries. Even ancient culinary experts surprised their masters with magnificent baked shrimp from Minturo, Smyrna or Alexandria.

Shrimps are rich in proteins and valuable amino acids, and also have in large numbers iodine, which is needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. They also contain all fat-soluble vitamins: K, A, E, D.

Shrimps contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, copper, molybdenum, fluorine, zinc, vitamins C, B1, B2, B9, PP, provitamin A and B-carotene.

Thus, shrimp are one of the most valuable sources of protein and minerals.

On a note: The amount of iodine in shrimp is 100 times more than in beef!

Shrimps are rich in calcium, which is useful for the functioning of the thyroid gland, immune system, kidneys, muscle system, blood synthesis and bone building. Potassium is essential for the cardiovascular system. Zinc stimulates the production of hormones, improves skin, strengthens nails. Sulfur also has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails, regulates the function of sweat and sebaceous glands, strengthens the immune system, reduces allergies, participates in the construction of connective tissue, including the valvular apparatus of the heart, membranes of venous and arterial vessels, articular surfaces.

Shrimp have a very high level of healthy cholesterol, as well as a lot of copper.

Composition of shrimp

in 100 grams of product

On a note: The best shrimp are fresh-frozen: they not only taste better, but also last longer. Such shrimp can be distinguished by a gray-brown color.

What good shrimp look like

High-quality frozen shrimp are slightly curved, elastic, and their meat has a light gray color. The shell may be slightly darkened near the cephalothorax and on the back (these spots should disappear after cooking). Some shrimp may have caviar. The product should smell like the sea without any unpleasant odors. All shrimp in the package must be whole, the number of broken antennae and tails must not exceed 5% of the total weight. In addition, the container should not contain anything other than shrimp and ice.

Boiled shrimp should be curved, and the color of the flesh is pink with various shades. The meat should be firm and juicy. The taste and aroma of shrimp is characteristic, there should not be any foreign tastes and odors.

What bad shrimp look like

Poor quality shrimp may have an unpleasant odor. Violation is damage to the shell and antennae. If the structure of the meat is loose, and its color is gray, yellow or uneven, then the product is spoiled. Do not take shrimp with gray spots on the shell and body, as well as with blackened heads.

On a note: All shrimp in the package must be the same size!

How to determine the quality of shrimp

Carefully examine the package: it must contain the full name of the company, as well as the contact details of the manufacturer, the weight of the package and the number of shrimp in one kilogram must be indicated

On a note: The shrimp packaging should indicate the number of shrimp per 1 kg or 450 g (that's 1 pound).

If you buy shrimp by weight, the icing on them should not be too thick. Shrimps packaged in bags should not be in the snow, because this is a sure sign of re-freezing.

On a note: Superiority in quality today is occupied by European suppliers of shrimp.

Conditional classification of edible shrimp:

• Classic shrimp (various types of shrimp, packaged according to size).
• King prawns.
• Tiger chrimp.

In nature, there are over 2 thousand species of shrimp. However, all of them can be divided into conditional groups according to their habitat. There are warm-water and cold-water shrimp, as well as marine and freshwater ones.

Shrimp living in cold waters

Cold-water sea shrimps are very diverse. More than 100 species are found in Russia in the Far East. But the most popular are the northern red shrimp Pandalus borealis, which live in Arctic waters. Their subspecies are the northern chilim Pandalus goniurus and the red comb shrimp Pandalus hypsinotus. These are very small, but tasty - a great snack for beer.

Warm water shrimp

Warm water shrimp live in the warm tropical waters of the southern seas and oceans. Such shrimp are not only caught in the natural environment, but also bred on special farms. There are few types of warm-water shrimp. The tiger shrimp Penaeus kerathurus, which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, is very popular. The black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon is also known. It is common on the coasts of Asian countries. In the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the green tiger shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus is found, as well as the white shrimp Panaeus Vannamei, also called the king shrimp.

Shrimp living in salt water

Also found in the Atlantic Ocean are southern pink Penaeus notialis, red royal Plesiopenaeus emardsianus, serrated Palaemon serratus, northern pink Penaeus duorarum, northern white Penaeus setiferus shrimp, pink deep-sea Aristeus antennatus, southern pink Penaeus notiatis shrimp. Black Sea grass shrimp Palaemon adspersus and sand shrimp Crangon crangon are found in large numbers in the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas Spotted deep-sea shrimp Pandalus platyceros and captain shrimp Penaeus chinensis are found on the coasts of Japan and China. And the Chilean shrimp Heterocarpus reedei can only be found off the coast of Chile.

It is interesting: In nature, there are very unusual types of shrimp. So, the Spongikol shrimp lives in glass sponges. This shrimp climbs inside the sponge even at the larval stage, then grows up and, due to its size, can already crawl out. And the mantis shrimp is distinguished by its eyes: it is able to see in infrared, optical, polarized and ultraviolet light at the same time. In Asia, the ninja shrimp lives, capable of changing color, mimicking the environment. Red-nosed shrimp with a long reddish nose live in the waters of the Indian Ocean.

freshwater shrimp

But shrimp are not only in sea and ocean waters. Many species also live in fresh waters. The largest and most popular tropical warm water freshwater shrimp is the giant Macrobrachium rosenbergii. They are better known as king prawns. These shrimp are found in Southeast Asia, China, Indy, Northern Australia and the islands of Oceania. Interestingly, living in fresh water, king prawns prefer to breed in salt water.

Freshwater shrimp, found in Russia, are descendants of the inhabitants of the Earth of the pre-glacial period. For example, in the Caucasus, in streams and cave lakes, there is a blind troglocar shrimp Troglocaris anophthalmus Kollar.

Species Leander, Paratya, Caridina live in the Far East. The shrimp Palaemon superbus and Leander modestus Heller are found in Lake Khanka. Both Leander modestus Heller and Caridina denticulata sinensis Kemp live in the Amur. L. Paucudens De Haan shrimp live on Sakhalin. The shrimp Paratya porealis Wolk lives in the Ulunchi River. The eastern river shrimp lives in fresh water bodies of the Astrakhan region.

It is interesting: The homeland of the eastern river shrimp, which lives in the Astrakhan reservoirs, is Vietnam, Japan and China. However, having arrived in Russia along with batches of Vietnamese fish, the oriental shrimp successfully adapted to the harsh Russian climate and has been living in our country since the 1950s.

How long to cook shrimp

The main thing during cooking is to prevent the meat from becoming rubbery. In order not to digest the product, you need to consider what type of shrimp you purchased: warm-water or cold-water.

On a note: Large warm-water shrimp cook longer than small cold-water shrimp.

Ordinary small Atlantic shrimp are cooked for no more than 2 minutes, and large warm-water ones should be in boiling water for about 3 minutes. The difference is small, but it matters a lot.

A characteristic sign of the readiness of shrimp is a matte pink color and a slightly transparent shell. After the shrimp are cooked, some chefs recommend not removing them immediately from the water, but leaving them to brew for 15-20 minutes in the resulting broth.

On a note: When the shrimp are cooked, do not rush to remove them from the broth, but let it brew for 20 minutes.

If you bought not freshly frozen, but boiled-frozen shrimp, then it is enough to throw them into a pot of boiling water without defrosting and wait until they float to the surface.

How to improve the taste of shrimp

In Italy, shrimp are sometimes boiled in milk or cream. In China and Japan, green tea leaves are added to the water when boiling shrimp, which allows you to beat off the fishy smell.

Russia also has its own interesting approaches to cooking shrimp. For example, methods of boiling shrimp in beer and even in vodka are known!

The best additives for shrimp during cooking to improve the taste and aroma of the dish are black pepper, bay leaf, lemon, lime, vegetable oil, salt, garlic, tarragon, dill, cloves.

On a note: Shrimp can be cooked in a microwave oven, for this it is enough to put frozen shrimp without adding water for 5-12 minutes, depending on the power of the FSH radiation.

In stores, you can find ordinary unpeeled shrimp, and shrimp without a head and even without a shell.

On a note: On average, 1 kg of peeled shrimp is approximately equal to 3 kg of unpeeled.

Some shrimp recipes may call for pre-cleaning before cooking. In others, on the contrary, it is required to cook the whole shrimp. Even the recipes of some dishes provide for the use of shrimp along with the shell or tails. Also, when frying or baking, heads are often left on shrimp bodies. However, if you still need to clean the shrimp, there are several ways.

Shrimp Cleaning Methods

You can start the cleaning process by separating the head, and then, pulling the tail, carefully remove the shell with paws and at the same time pull out the insides.

Another way is to start with the legs, and then separate the head and shell. If there are caviar on the paws, it is better to remove it beforehand.

On a note: Shrimp caviar can also be eaten: it is both tasty and healthy.

There are ways to clean shrimp using kitchen utensils: cut off the paws with scissors, and cut the shell along the outer bend with a small knife, push its halves apart and pry the insides with a point. Then the meat is taken out and rinsed.

Note: To easily peel boiled shrimp, dip them in cold water for a few seconds after cooking.

Using shrimp shells

You can make soup broth from shrimp. There are several ways to prepare this broth. Firstly, the shells can simply be boiled in a saucepan with spices. There should be a little water, just to cover the contents. After boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the contents for about 30 minutes. After boiling, wait until the water has cooled down.

The second way is to pre-wash and dry the shrimp shells in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes. After cooking with seasonings, onions and garlic until boiling, then reduce heat, add herbs and cook for another hour. After cooking, leave for 30 minutes.

On a note: Before using the shrimp shell broth to make soup, you need to strain it through cheesecloth.

Cold water shrimp are harvested in Scandinavia, Russia and Canada. Suppliers of Atlantic cold-water shrimp to the Russian market are Canada, Denmark, Norway, Greenland, Russia, the USA and Japan. Sold mostly fresh frozen.

Warm-water shrimp are supplied to the domestic market by such countries as China, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador. They are sold in three types - frozen in a block of ice, individually frozen with a head and without a head.

In 2010, two main types of shrimp were supplied to Russia: Pandalidae shrimp accounted for 67.8% of turnover by weight and 52.8% by price, while Penaeus shrimp accounted for 30.5% and 44.9% respectively. At the same time, Pandalidae turned out to be 47% cheaper than Penaeus.

In 2007-2010, the average increase in shrimp imports to Russia amounted to 6%. In 2010, import volumes almost returned to the pre-crisis level of 2008 and amounted to $199,000,000.

The statistics of average monthly deliveries from 2007 to 2010 showed a drop in the total volume and price of delivery in 2009 to an average annual level of $3.09 per 1 kg of goods. In 2010, there were obvious sales growth trends, with the average annual price up 4% since 2008.

Russia is one of the world leaders in terms of shrimp consumption. In 2013, shrimp were supplied to Russia from 24 countries!

The main importers of shrimp to Russia are Canada, China and Denmark. The largest supplier of shrimp to Russia is Canada (more than 40% of all imports), but the share of China is growing every year (from 2.7% in 2007 to 22.8% in 2010).

most expensive shrimp shipped from Portugal, Nicaragua and Vietnam.

Relatively cheap shrimp are from Italy, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, Estonia, Iceland, Tunisia.

Main Suppliers imported shrimp to the Russian market: Albatross, Polar Seafood Russia, Vichunai-Rus, New Alaska, Agama Royal Greenland, Sea Prod.

Most companies on the Russian shrimp market are representative offices of foreign producers. In addition to sales, these enterprises, as a rule, carry out processing and packaging of products.

Shrimps- this is one of the gifts of the sea, which is considered a delicacy in many countries of the world remote from the sea. Shrimp are a subspecies of marine crustacean creatures and can reach sizes up to thirty centimeters. On average, the size of a shrimp is about ten to twelve centimeters (see photo). There are also about a hundred different types of shrimp, which differ mainly in size. Shrimps are caught in the seas, but sometimes they can be grown on farms.

An interesting fact is that at birth, shrimp are hermaphrodites, and throughout their life they change sex from male to female in order to bear offspring.

Often, shrimp are sold in stores in fresh-frozen, frozen and boiled-frozen form. They can be sold both in packages and by weight. Fresh shrimp are dark green or pinkish-transparent in color, while cooked-frozen shrimp are bright pink or red.

If you went to the store and want to buy shrimp, then you should know how to choose them correctly so that they bring you only positive emotions.

Shrimps that have been frozen fresh are of the highest quality, as they contain the highest amount of useful elements.

Shrimp varieties

Today, there are about a hundred varieties of shrimp that go to stores and markets, however, the most popular of them are:

• royal;
• brindle;
• northern (chilims).

King prawns, which are caught in the seas, are significantly different from their counterparts, which are grown on special farms. Shrimps not grown in the wild can reach sizes up to twenty-five centimeters in one year, while they have a much more massive rear part relative to the head, which makes them tastier. Most often, the color of king prawns is greenish or even bluish. This type of shrimp goes on sale most often in fresh-frozen or boiled-frozen form.

Tiger prawns are distinguished by their particularly large size, as well as the characteristic dark stripes on the shell, which is why they got their name. Tiger shrimp can reach up to forty centimeters in length, in addition, they contain much more meat than other types of shrimp. This type of crustacean can be both caught in the seas and bred on farms, so there are always plenty of these shrimp on the shelves.

Several types of tiger prawns are on sale: frozen, fresh-frozen, chilled, boiled-frozen, as well as canned.

Northern shrimps, otherwise known as chilims, are the smallest representatives of their species. The maximum size of such shrimp usually does not exceed eleven centimeters. Northern shrimp are fished or farmed legally in the Atlantic. An interesting fact is that, unlike their relatives, only northern shrimps carry caviar under their belly. Other species of shrimp throw it directly into the water.

On the shelves you can find only boiled-frozen type of northern shrimp, since only this method of transportation allows you to keep them as fresh and juicy as possible.

How to clean and cook?

Before telling you about how to properly cook different types of shrimp, you need to clarify that you can cook them both in shell and without it. If you want to cook a shrimp without a shell, then you need to know how to clean it. In our article, we will tell you in detail how this can be done.

1. The first step is to defrost the shrimp. To do this, it is best to put them on a plate, and put it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so that they thaw gradually. If you are in a hurry, you can put the bag of shrimp in room temperature water, changing it as it cools.
2. When the shrimp are defrosted, you should put them on a wooden board, then sprinkle well with salt. Thus, they will be salted, and it will also be much easier to remove the shell.
3. Now it’s worth taking the shrimp in your hands, in one of which you should hold your head, and in the other tail. After that, you need to carefully unscrew the head, and then tear off the legs.
4. Then, starting at the head, gently pull the scales of the shell up, thus removing the entire shell. The tip of the tail should be carefully removed by pulling it towards you.
5. If you see a dark line along the back, then it will need to be removed, since this is the esophagus.
6. After you clean the shrimp, they will need to be thoroughly rinsed under running water, and then proceed to cooking.

Now that you know how to properly peel shrimp, you can move on to the cooking process. To begin with, let's look at the method by which you need to cook boiled-frozen shrimp. However, it is not necessary to clean them. First of all, they need to be defrosted. For boiled-frozen shrimp, the method with boiling water is suitable: they need to be put in a colander and poured over with water from a freshly boiled kettle. After that, you should transfer the shrimp to the pan and pour boiling water over them so that it completely covers the shrimp. You can add herbs, dried cloves, salt and black pepper to the water to taste. The shrimp should cook in this way for about two minutes, after which they can be laid out on a plate and served.

If you are going to cook raw shrimp, then you should know that they need to be cooked much longer, whether they are peeled or not. To cook raw shrimp, you need to wait until they defrost on their own. After that, pour water into the pan, add salt, bay leaf and lemon juice there and wait until it boils. Now you can put the shrimp in there. They should be cooked for at least 10 minutes, but the time in each case may be different. You can determine the moment when the shrimp are ready when they float to the surface and turn pink. After that, you can turn off the water and transfer the shrimp to a plate.

How to cook?

As you know, shrimp can be cooked not only by boiling. In many restaurants around the world, shrimp are fried and baked, which only makes their taste brighter.

If you want to cook shrimp, then you can add greens and various spices to the water for them, which can make the shrimp taste richer and the aroma stronger. Boiled shrimp are perfect for seafood salads, you can make sandwiches, canapes with them, and also eat just like that as a snack.

Fried and baked shrimp have a great taste, but if they are not fried in olive oil, they will not act as a dietary product. But they are wonderful for sandwiches and cream soups. In addition, you can cook such an amazing dish as pasta with shrimp. There are a huge number of recipes for cooking and using shrimp on our website, you can always choose what you like, as well as see photos of finished dishes.

Benefit and harm

The benefits of shrimp are undeniable, since they, like many other seafood, contain a huge amount of useful elements. Shrimps have long been used as a powerful aphrodisiac, which increased the libido of both men and women.

Shrimps are a very low-calorie product, so they can act as a dietary meal. At the same time, shrimp contain a whole set of vitamins, which is undoubtedly a plus for those who are forced to deny themselves high-calorie foods.

Regular consumption of shrimp helps to eliminate allergenic cells, thereby reducing the risk of allergic reactions to any products. Also, shrimp contains a large amount of antioxidants, which is why regular consumption of them contributes to the destruction of cancer cells.

If we talk about whether eating shrimp can cause harm, then the answer will be unequivocal: it can. But only in two cases: in the case of excessively frequent use of shrimp, and also in the event that they were caught in water bodies polluted with radiation.

Composition of shrimp

The chemical composition of shrimp is very diverse. Most importantly, they contain a large amount of protein, which nourishes the body with energy. Shrimps also contain useful Omega acids, which have a positive effect on the condition of human blood vessels, as well as on the elasticity of the heart muscle. Shrimp also contains a large number of useful trace elements that fill the body and take care of it: manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, iodine, and many others. Vitamins in shrimp are also in abundance, and they are especially rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, E and D.

Thus, one small shrimp can rightfully be considered a storehouse of useful components.

This amazing creature has many names, the most famous of which are the Rosenberg macrobrachium, a giant river and long-armed shrimp. Connoisseurs say that she has very tasty meat. And we tend to believe them. After all, it is not in vain that many farms have been built in southeast Asia, in other countries and even in southern Russia, where these arthropods are bred for sale. In addition, Macrobrachium rosenbergii can become a very interesting object for display in an aquarium. They have a rather unusual appearance and habits. For information on how to properly keep a giant freshwater shrimp in a home pond, read our article.

The areas of its distribution in nature are India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Northern Australia, the Philippines and New Guinea. Adult shrimps can be found there most often in fresh, quiet, heavily overgrown reservoirs, the bottom of which is lined with sand and stones, littered with snags. The temperature in them, depending on the season, is from 24 to 32 degrees. When the time for spawning comes, they migrate to the lower reaches of rivers or estuaries, where the water is saltier.

What does a Rosenberg shrimp look like?

The size of these creatures is quite large, females are about 28 cm, and males are 32 cm. The weight of the latter can reach 250 g, and they also have large long coal-colored claws. Sometimes the right and left differ in size.

Equipment: filter, subdued lighting. The current should not be strong. Light day 12 hours.

Priming. At the bottom, you can put dark-colored river sand with a fraction of 2-4 mm. The surface must not be flat. Terraces and hollows are welcome.

Shelters and decor. The giant Vietnamese shrimp grows very fast and therefore sheds frequently. During this period, she is extremely defenseless and can easily be eaten by her relatives. To secure it, you need to equip a sufficient number of shelters. It can be snags, thickets, stone heaps, grottoes, ceramic pipes.

Flora. It is best not to use live aquarium plants. They will be eaten. You can try to plant "tasteless" cryptocoryne or ophiopogon, while feeding the shrimp with pre-scalded lettuce, dandelion, burdock, nettle. If this does not help, then there is only one way out - to decorate the aquarium with artificial plants. It is better to arrange them in dense groups.

Our pets adapt quite quickly and can adapt to life with other parameters. However, if these recommendations are followed, the living conditions will be as close to natural as possible, and the shrimp will live longer (4-5 years).

What to feed giant freshwater shrimp

Suitable for both animal and vegetable food. From live food, you can give tubifex, bloodworm, coretra, cyclops and large daphnia. From time to time it is desirable to treat with larvae of amphibians, molluscs, live fish. Seafood (squid, mussels, haddock, pollock, cod fillet and others) will also go into business. Of course, everything must be pre-crushed. From vegetation, it will be useful to feed with scalded nettles, spinach and burdock. Sometimes you can give artificial food for fish like Tetra and the like.

Feed is given as needed when the previous one is completely destroyed. If you leave it to stale for a long time, then the water may deteriorate.

Is it possible to get offspring in captivity

In general, this is an easy task. But! Breeding water should be brackish.

Sexual maturity occurs in 4-5-month-old individuals. Producers must be in good physical condition, active, free from injury or disease.

Preparation period. Females are planted in a container with a temperature of 22 degrees. They are kept there for three weeks. Then the temperature is raised to 28-29 days for three. Food for all shrimp is given in abundance. It is better to use live food, as well as artificial food, in which at least 30 percent of protein (for sturgeon and salmon fish).

For breeding, a male and three or four females are placed in one container. After mating and spawning, females take care of the eggs: they ventilate it and remove the dead one.

larval stage- the most difficult in the development of shrimp. It has a very high mortality rate. It is extremely important to control all water parameters:

• temperature 27-29,
• salinity 12,
• oxygen 5,
• acidity 8-8.2,
• nitrites 0.1,
• other nitrogen compounds 0.001,
• illumination 4000 lux,
• light day 12 hours.

The development of the larvae consists of 12 stages. Each lasts approximately three days and ends with a molt.

Feed is started on the second day, preferably fresh arethmia nauplii. From the fifth day, you can add the yolk of a boiled egg and minced fish.

Next comes the transformation into postlarvae. Also with fast growth and frequent molting, the number of which decreases as it grows. Postlarvae are transplanted into a container with reduced salinity (6o/oo). They begin to lead an already benthic lifestyle. The diet can be supplemented with boiled vegetables and cereals.

Juveniles can be kept in common aquariums with fish and other small shrimps. But when their size reaches 5 cm, it is better to deposit them, as they will become dangerous to others. It is also better to immediately separate parents from young people in order to avoid cannibalism.

It is interesting

The giant oriental Rosenberg shrimp is considered one of the most delicious, so in many countries and even in Russia they are bred for gastronomic purposes. In Thailand, this business is completely put on stream. To treat yourself to such a shrimp is not a cheap pleasure: one little thing costs about 15-20 euros. They are transported alive (in special machines or boxes with wet moss) or frozen.

In conclusion, we note that keeping, and even more so breeding giant freshwater shrimp, is not an easy task, but very interesting. That's why if you have some experience in aquarism, and most importantly - a desire, then go for it. You will definitely succeed!

Video: organizing a sectional shrimp farm: