Giant Tiger Prawn

Penaeus monodon is among the largest commercially important shrimp, with exceptionally large adults reaching roughly 30 cm or more in length. Farmed specimens are usually harvested well before reaching the maximum size seen in mature wild animals.

Its shell typically shows dark transverse bands across a brownish or bluish body, producing the tiger-striped appearance behind its common name. Color varies with habitat, diet, age, and whether the animal is raw or cooked.

The species is native across the Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa through South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia. Aquaculture and accidental releases have also established it outside that native range.

Giant tiger prawns are generally larger and more boldly banded than Litopenaeus vannamei, the Pacific white shrimp. White shrimp now dominate much global farming because they tolerate high-density production well, while Penaeus monodon remains particularly important in Asian aquaculture.