On Exhibit
Animal Facts
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Scientific Name
Pandalus platyceros
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Animal Type
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Diet
other shrimp, worms, sponges, small molluscs, fish carcasses, plankton
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Size
to 10.5 inches (27 cm)
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Relatives
shrimp, crabs, lobsters; Class: Crustacea
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Habitat
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Range
Alaska to Baja California; Sea of Japan to the Korean Strait
Natural History
The spot prawn is the largest shrimp in the U.S. West Coast. This shrimp has a big problem: it's one of the reef fishes' favorite foods. Though it hides 700 feet (213 meters) deep in rocky canyons, the prawn also falls prey to the commercial fishers of Monterey Bay.
Conservation
Spot prawns are popular seafood. For decades, they've been caught in traps, which seems to have had little impact on their population. But as the demand for spot prawns grows, fishermen have begun large-scale harvests using trawl nets, which may both decrease their numbers and damage the habitat where they live.
Cool Facts
Spot sprawns change sex as they grow. They spend the first part of their lives as males, then change into females.