Spot Prawns This Northwest delicacy is the rage of seafood connoisseurs and, for that matter, anyone who likes a firm texture and buttery cross between shrimp and lobster. Something Shrimpy About Spot Prawns Shrimp or prawn? The prawn label is commonly attached to larger shrimp, even though they may not be true prawns. And some prawns are biologically shrimp, such as the spot prawn, while some shrimp are technically prawns, such as the ridgeback shrimp. Confusing? You bet. This we know: Shrimp and prawns are both crustaceans with ten legs and both live near the floor of waters they inhabit. From a culinary standpoint, the terms are interchangeable and what it boils down to is that you should choose your desired shrimp or prawn based on a combination of taste, size, and whether it is caught in 44
| HARBORS
By Karin Leperi
an environmentally responsible way. Since all spot prawns harvested in the Pacific Northwest are caught with pots, a sustainable fishing method with a relatively low amount of bycatch and habitat damage, they are considered ocean-friendly seafood choices. But because they are trap-caught and handpicked, they are expensive on the market. Current retail prices run as high as $20 a pound, averaging 8-12 head-on shrimp per pound. All About Spot Prawns Spot prawns are the largest shrimp caught on the Pacific West Coast, measuring from 9-12 inches and considerably larger (and tastier) than your average cocktail shrimp. Ranging from Alaska to Baja California, they are easily recognized by size and their reddish-brown color along with two white spots on the tail. Watery rocky habitats are natural havens for these giant shrimp: it is
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The King of Shrimp where they forage on other shrimp, plankton, small mollusks, worms, sponges, and dead organic material. Scientifically, they belong to the Padalus platyceras family, but they are also known as Puget Sound Lobster, Hood Canal Spot Shrimp, BC Spot Prawn and Alaskan Spot Prawn. When prepared as sushi and eaten raw, spot prawns are known by the Japanese name, amaebi. As hermaphrodites, they spend the first part of their lives as male then undergo a sex change in mid life, transitioning to female for the duration of their life span. As females, they often have two or more broods before dying. This actually helps preserve the species as females with eggs are thrown back from trap catches. Eggs are generally found on females from October through March. Recreational Shrimp Fishing Due to their size and taste, spot