North Florida Hoppers – Panaeus – duorarum
The North Florida Hopper is a species of shrimp native to Florida’s Coastal waters in the Pan handle and from Cape Canaveral north. On the Gulf side of the state they are caught in high salinity places like St. Joe Bay. The Hopper Season is usually the middle of March to May. Hoppers got their name from the early shrimping days when the shrimpers dumped the nets on the deck the hardy shrimp would “hop” around. Hoppers are an incredibly delicious shrimp. They have a firm crisp texture and bite with sweet ocean flavor. Mature Hoppers all have a red spot on their sides and the shell color can vary from light green to brown to pink.

Brown Shrimp – Farfantepenaues – aztecus
Brown Shrimp are found in Florida waters west of Apalachicola Bay to Texas. Brownies (as the shrimpers call them) tend to be found in deeper waters with higher salinity than the white shrimp. Brown shrimp spawn year round but the main harvest occurs after the hopper season and runs through the summer. Brown shrimp get their name from the golden brown color of the shell.

Pink Shrimp – Panaeus – duorarum
Pink shrimp are the most famous Florida species. The Key West Pinks are the same species as the hoppers, but they mature on the coral sand bottoms of the Tortugas and develop the distinctive pink color. Their firm texture and great flavor make this shrimp highly sought after

Royal Red Shrimp - Pleoticus robustus
Royal Red Shrimp are a deep water bright red shrimp caught off of Florida’s East Coast and a few places in the Gulf of Mexico. The shrimp have large heads, long antennae and feelers and very red shell. Royal Reds are caught in much deeper water than any of Florida’s other shrimp. They have the softest texture, but the sweetest flavor or all the Florida shrimp. Royal Reds will cook in half of the time of regular shrimp. They are normally produced in March through June.

Rock Shrimp - Sicyonia brevirostris
Rock Shrimp get their name from their very hard shell. They are only caught at night and in deeper water than regular shrimp. Virtually all Rock Shrimp are caught by boats equipped with on board freezers to immediately preserve the product until it is further processed on shore. Rock Shrimp fishing is seasonal. The majority of the production is caught off of Florida’s East Coast from September to December. In some years there is production in the Florida Gulf during the summer months.

Rock Shrimp are delicious. When baked or broiled the hard shell gives the shrimp a lobster like flavor and bite. When the shell is removed the sweet shrimp like flavor comes out. Rock shrimp are very versatile. They can be baked, broiled, steamed, fried, sautéed, or any way that shrimp or lobster can be cooked. Rock shrimp do cook a little quicker than regular shrimp.

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Shrimp drawings courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture