Do You Know Your Shrimp?

The North Carolina shrimp fishery harvests three species: white, brown, and pink shrimp. White and brown shrimp are the dominant species, while pink shrimp make up the smallest portion of the annual harvest. From the public’s perspective, all three species are simply sold as “shrimp”. Once cooked, they are indistinguishable by taste and appearance and thus sold without species-specific labels. Instead, labeling focuses on size and whether the shrimp are heads-on or heads-off.

Although shrimp are primarily harvested for food, all three species are also commercially harvested for use as recreational bait. Shrimp sold for the bait market are smaller and often sold live.