Description: A deep-water edible caridean shrimp, reddish in colour, with a large, thick head. The upper edge of the rostrum is spiked. The eggs are deep blue, clearly visible in ovigerous females.
Global Distribution: Eastern and Western Central Atlantic, and Indo-West Pacific. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum total length 142 mm; maximum carapace length 34.8 mm. Females grow larger. Maximum weight 21.6 g.
Growth type: Madeira: males: negative allometric; females: isometric for total and ovigerous females; negative allometric for non-ovigerous females.
von Bertallanfy growth parameters: Madeira: males: k=0.52 year, L∞=34.11 mm; females: k=0.52 year, L∞=36.18 mm.
Reproduction: Ovigerous females present throughout most of the year in Madeira and the Canary Islands, with a mass spawning in spring and summer. In the Gulf of Mexico, fecundity was estimated at 16024 ± 5644 eggs, which were of small size (0.045 ± 70.009 mm3), consistent with extended planktotrophic laeval development, which is uncommon in deep-water carideans. Iteroparous.
Maturity: Madeira: 25.7 mm carapace length; Canary Islands: 22.4 mm CL.
Behavioural ecology:
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: SeaLifeBase: depth range 57 - 3000 m.
Eastern Atlantic: 113-885 m. More abundant between 350-400 m.
Habitat: Adults are exclusively benthic. Inhabits soft muddy bottoms on the deeper part of the shelf and on the slope. Juveniles are pelagic.
Feeding habits:
Trophic level:
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Although it is an attractive commercial species, presenting some patches of abundance between 300 - 450 m, it is probably not suitable for an economically viable commercial exploitation in Madeira archipelago. Captured using benthic and semifloating shrimp traps.
Conservation status: Not evaluated.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 126.32 kcal (6.3% DRV)
protein 19.66 g (39.3% DRV)
fat 1.54 g (2.2% DRV)
of which saturates 0.39 g (2.0% DRV)
omega-3 (EPA+DHA): 0.488 g (recommended: 0.250 - 2.0 g daily)
Briones-Fourzán P., Barradas-OrtÃz C., Negrete-Soto F., Lozano-Ãlvarez E. (2010). Reproductive traits of tropical deep-water pandalid shrimps (Heterocarpus ensifer) from the SW Gulf of Mexico. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 57(8): 978-987.
Crosnier A., Forest J. (1973). Les crevettes profondes de l’Atlantique oriental
tropical. Faune Tropicale XIX, Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre Mer, Paris, France, 409 pp.
Gonzalez J.A., ed. (2012). Recetario MARPROF de mariscos y pescados de profundidad de la Macaronesia. Oceanográfica. Available at:
Recetario MARPROF
Holthuis L.B. (1980). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 1. Shrimps and prawns of the world. An annotated catalogue of species of interest to fisheries. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, 271 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
