Brown Shrimp, Penaeus californiensis
Brown Shrimp, Penaeus californiensis. Shrimp caught from within the estuary of Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Baja California Sur, January 2018. Catch and photograph courtesy of Brad Murakami, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Phylogeny: The Brown Shrimp, Penaeus californiensis, is a member of the Penaeidae Family of Penaeid Shrimp. It is also known as the Yellowleg Shrimp and in Mexico as camarón café and camarón patiamarillo.
Morphology: The Brown Shrimp are light brown to reddish brown in color with yellowish legs. They have a pronounced grove along both sides of the rostrum. The Brown Shrimp have well-developed toothed rostrums which extend to or past the eye stalks. The first 3 pairs of legs are clawed and all 5 pairs of legs are well developed. They are sexually dimorphic with females being larger than males – a maximum length of 25.0 cm (9.8 inches) versus 16.0 cm (6.3 inches). The female shells are 5.5 cm (2.2 inches) in length.
Habitat and Distribution: The Brown Shrimp are benthic and are found in brackish 26oC (79oF) waters over mud and sand substrate from the intertidal zone to depths up to 180 m (590 feet) with the majority being found between 25 m (82 feet) and 50 m (164 feet). The Brown Shrimp is a resident of all Mexican coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Diet: The Brown Shrimp feed primarily on the green microalgae, Ulva clatharata.
Reproduction: The Brown Shrimp is gonochoric with reproduction occurring in coastal zones and sometimes coastal lagoons. They may migrate between habitats during their short-lived with life spans of one to two years.
Human Impact: Brown Shrimp are caught in abundance by trawlers along the continental shelf and are the most important commercially harvested shrimp from the Sea of Cortez. They and considered to be an exceptional shrimp for human consumption. Along with the Blue Shrimp and the White Shrimp they are marketed as “Mexican White Shrimp”. When available they are often used by recreational anglers as an exceptional live bait, targeting a wide variety of fish. Efforts to propagate this species via aquaculture are on-going but to date have had only mixed results.
Synonym: Farfantepenaeus californiensis.