Shrimp

True shrimps are small, swimming, decapod crustaceans usually classified in the suborder Natantia, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water.

Taxonomy

A number of more or less unrelated crustaceans also have the word "shrimp" in their common name. Examples are the mantis shrimps and the opposum or mysid shrimps, both of which belong to the same class (Malacostraca) as the true shrimps, but constitute two different orders within it, the Stomatopoda and the Mysidacea.

Also, debates on the taxonomy of the decapods continues, and not all authorities recognise Natantia as a valid grouping, while some would place infraorders or superfamilies beneath it.

The most recent classifications tend to remove some of the shrimps, in particular the family Penaeidae, from Natantia. They then become classified within the suborder Dendrobranchiata and the infraorder Penaeoida (some authors treat Penaeoida as a suborder). The rest of the shrimps belong to a different suborder, the Pleocyemata; Natantia may serve as the name for an infraorder within this, though the name Caridea occurs more frequenly. In this scheme, the members of the Pleocyemate infraorder Caridea are regarded as the "true shrimps", while the members of the Dendrobranchiate infraorder Penaeoida are referred to as "penaeid shrimps". The table at the right reflects the older classification.

The points that seem relatively fixed amidst this fluidity are:

• All animals in the families listed at right would normally be named as shrimps, but they may not constitute a monophyletic group.
• All current classifications place all true shrimps in the order Decapoda, which groups them with crabs, lobsters and krill.
• There are some animals whose common name includes the word "shrimp" that definitely belong to other groups of crustaceans.

The usage of the common name "shrimp" also varies: zoologically, all crustaceans belonging to Natantia (or to a corresponding list of families) are called shrimps, but in common usage, especially in relation to cooking, some of the large ones are known as "prawns".

Shrimps as food

A number of the larger species, including the white shrimp Penaeus setiferus, are caught commercially and used for food. Various recipes utilizing shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures: see scampi, for instance.

Shrimps in aquaria

Several types of shrimp are kept in home aquaria and are useful in controlling algae and removing debris. Freshwater shrimp available for aquaria include the Japanese marsh shrimp (Caridina japonica) and ghost or glass shrimps (Palaeomonetes sp.) Popular saltwater shrimp include the cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis), the fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) and the harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta).

Catching Shrimp

People that catch shrimp are 'shrimpers', and the act of catching shrimp is called 'shrimping'. Strikers are the crewmen on the boat that set up and strike the nets.

There are 3 common methods for catching shrimp in the US.

• Trawling, or commercial shrimp catching, where a trawler (shrimp boat) uses several different nets. Otter crawls are 4 nets in front of the 4 main nets. There is also a net they put directly behind the boat that they pick up periodicially to check on the status of their shrimping.
• Shrimp Baiting is considered a recreational and controversial shrimping technique. It involves a 'bait ball', which is a time-release bait, typically concocted of at least fishmeal and mud (the smell apparently lasts a few days on your hands!). It seems every shrimper has a different secret concoction for their bait ball. You then put the bait balls in the water, wait a little while for the shrimp to show up, and then use these small round nets to catch the bait.
• The third method is roughly a 1,80 x 6,00 m (6' x 20') net that looks quite a bit like a volleyball net. One person walks along the beach side, and the other person walks along waist-deep in water dragging the net across the bottom to catch the shrimp.