Scientists see increase in tiger prawn sightings

A rise in sightings of a giant, invasive shrimp has government scientists working to determine the cause and possible consequences for native fish and seafood in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2010, there were 32 reported sightings of the Asian tiger prawn in Gulf and Atlantic waters, according to Pam Fuller, the U.S. Geological Survey biologist who runs the agency’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database. In 2012, those reports jumped to 331.
“We can confirm there was nearly a tenfold jump in reports of Asian tiger shrimp in 2011,” Fuller said. “And they are probably even more prevalent than reports suggest because the more fisherman and other locals become accustomed to seeing them, the less likely they are to report them.”
Fuller said scientists aren’t sure why Asian tiger prawn sightings have suddenly increased so dramatically. It could be that shrimpers are more aware of the prawns and are reporting them in greater numbers. But it is more likely their population has increased.
The tiger prawn is native to the western Pacific and is farmed commercially across the globe, but there are no known aquaculture facilities for the prawn in the U.S. The shrimp may have come to the U.S. in ballast water from Asian ships, or arrived on ocean currents from wild populations in the Caribbean or other locations.
The Asian tiger prawn is visually striking, characterized by its distinct “tiger stripes” in bands of black and white.
They are also very large. Tiger prawns can grow up to 14 inches long and weigh as much as 23 ounces.