Shrimp

Shrimp (Arabic: جمبري) is a general term applied to many small aquatic animals belonging to the crustacean group (invertebrates with hard external skeletons). The body consists of a cephalothorax and a segmented abdomen, and they have numerous legs used for swimming and locomotion.

The term is not a precise taxonomic classification but rather a commercial and colloquial name. Various distinct species are called 'shrimp' or 'prawn' in Western languages. They inhabit seas, rivers, and lakes, and also live in areas of the sea floor near land.

Body structure

The external shell is made of chitin, which protects the soft body. Because the shell does not grow, the animal regularly sheds its old shell (a process called molting) and produces a new one. They have two small eyes on stalks and two long antennae used for sensing. The abdomen moves rapidly when they sense danger, propelling them backward.

Life and diet

Most are omnivorous, feeding on decomposed organic matter, microscopic algae, and tiny animals. In reproduction, females produce many eggs; many species go through larval stages that float in the water until they reach adult form. They play an important role in the marine food chain, as many fish, birds, and marine mammals feed on them.

Economy and fisheries

Shrimp is among the most commercially valuable marine products in the world. It is obtained in two ways: wild capture through trawling, and farming (aquaculture) in designated ponds, which is extensive in Asia and South America. Environmental concerns related to farming include the destruction of mangrove ecosystems where ponds are built and unintended catch of other species (bycatch) from trawling.

Somali coasts

The Somali coasts, among the longest in Africa, contain marine resources including shrimp species. Traditionally, marine food has not been widely consumed in much of the interior, but its use exists in coastal towns, and there is trade directed at external markets.