How to distinguish shrimp and prawn

The concepts of shrimp and prawn are not the same in some localities. While many localities call prawn a creature with many characteristics similar to prawn but smaller in size, for people in many other localities, prawn is the word to call small fish, belonging to many different species. That is why in conversations, there are many arguments when people argue about what is a prawn and what is a shrimp.

Instead of distinguishing right from wrong in local language differences, you need to know the difference between shrimp and prawn in common language, which is conventionally standard, as well as the biological definition of shrimp and prawn.

Distinguish between shrimp and prawn

Biological Definition of Shrimp, Prawns and Fish

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, former Deputy Director of the Northern Center for Environmental Monitoring and Aquatic Diseases (Aquaculture Research Institute 1), said that shrimp and prawns both belong to the group of crustaceans (Crustacea) or also known as 10-legged crustaceans. This is a sub-phylum of the arthropod phylum, including more than 44,000 species such as sea lobster, giant tiger prawn, mantis shrimp, white-leg shrimp, giant freshwater prawn, river prawn, freshwater prawn, etc.

The picture on the left is a shrimp, the picture on the right is a prawn.

Shrimps and prawns are mostly omnivorous animals, including species that live in sea water (like lobsters) and species that live in fresh water (like crayfish) or brackish water (like giant freshwater prawns). They move through water by crawling, swimming by flapping their legs or in some cases swimming backwards by bending their bodies to escape - a swimming style very typical of many shrimp species.

Meanwhile, fish belong to the phylum vertebrates, which are higher on the evolutionary ladder than arthropods. There are currently over 31,900 species of fish, making them the most diverse group of vertebrates.

Thus, in science, fish is fish and shrimp is shrimp, they belong to 2 different animal phyla. Science also clearly distinguishes shrimp and prawn, instead of calling them "big shrimp and small shrimp" as in some localities.

The difference between shrimp and prawn

According to expert Nguyen Thi Ha, shrimp and prawns differ in size when mature, color and reproduction, specifically in the following table:

SHRIMP Characteristics : Crustaceans (Crustacea) of the order Decapoda living in the wild in saltwater, fresh water, and brackish water. Some species are brought back to reproduce artificially and raised in ponds to achieve high productivity, the raising time is 3-12 months depending on the species.

Also a crustacean of the same order as shrimp but different family, different species. Naturally reproduced in freshwater ponds, harvested continuously every day.

Common names:  Lobster, giant tiger prawn, white-leg shrimp, mantis shrimp, green-legged shrimp, red-legged shrimp, mantis shrimp.

The names are diverse, depending on each locality as well as the characteristics of the shrimp, there are different names such as:
- Field shrimp (due to their widespread distribution in rice fields). 
- Bait shrimp (due to their use as food for predatory fish). 
- Rice shrimp, corn shrimp (in Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa and some places in the Central region.).
- Mosquito shrimp, sea shrimp, seaweed shrimp (southern provinces).

Adult size

Body length up to 100-300mm, depending on the species of shrimp and the ecological region they live in, and the farming time. Male shrimp are usually larger than female shrimp.

The maximum body length is 10-20mm, almost uniform. At a certain point, they die in the pond and cannot increase in size even if raised for a long time. Reproduction

Reproduction in the wild, some species have been domesticated and brought into artificial reproduction such as giant tiger shrimp, white-leg shrimp.

Natural reproduction, 3 reproductive cycles, female carries eggs in abdomen

Classification of shrimp and prawns by senses

Based on the external structure, according to MSc. Nguyen Thi Ha, the distinguishing characteristics of shrimp and some species of shrimp and prawns are as follows:

Spiny lobster - P. ornatus (also known as star lobster): Large commercial size , weight reaches more than 1 kg/lobster, some up to 2.5-3 kg depending on farming time. It is called spiny lobster because its body has lines and patterned spots.

Bamboo lobster - P. polyphagus: Commercial size is smaller than spiny lobster, reaching 0.2-0.5 kg/lobster, commonly raised in the coastal provinces of Central Vietnam. Bamboo lobster has a fairly thin shell and a lot of meat.

Giant freshwater prawn - M. rosenbergii : Commercial size reaches 0.1-2 kg depending on farming time, male prawns have very large claws, female prawns are smaller than male prawns. Shrimp are commonly farmed in the Mekong Delta. Giant freshwater prawns are farmed commercially in freshwater.

Giant tiger prawn - P. Monodon : This is a bottom-dwelling species so its color is slightly dark, commercial size is usually from 5-50 shrimp/kg depending on the farming time; has been artificially bred and widely farmed in coastal provinces of Vietnam. Giant tiger prawn is loved by many consumers.

White leg shrimp - P.Vanamei: Fast growing, high density farming, high productivity, is the main export product of Vietnam; has been artificially bred and widely farmed in coastal provinces of Vietnam. White leg shrimp is a popular daily dish of Vietnamese people.

Shrimp - C. flavilineata : Very small in size, often used to cook soup, make shrimp paste and as bait for some rare animals. Shrimp is sold cheaper than shrimp, used to prepare some dishes.

Above is specific analysis information of expert Nguyen Thi Ha on distinguishing shrimp and prawn, helping readers have a basis for reference, so as not to be confused between these two species.