Japanese Tiger Prawn

Common name of a species of prawn, that occurs naturally in warm currents of bays and seas of the Indo-West Pacific, though has recently also migrated to other region. It is one of the largest species of prawn, with the larger females reaching a length of up to 27 centimeters and males to around 17 centimeters, making it an economically important species in the family of Penaeidae, which also includes the Tiger Prawn (Penaeus monodon - fig.). It has a pale cream body, with brown bands across the back, while the walking and swimming legs, known as pereiopods and pleopods respectively, are pale yellow near their bases and blue near the tips, as is the tail. It is an important food source used in sushi, and though it can be served raw, it is most often boiled, while the shrimp's liver, which is rich in umami, is usually placed between the prawn and rice to add a creaminess to the bite. In Japanese, it is commonly known as Kuruma Ebi, which literally means ‘Old Ocean Car(t)’, but it is usually translated as ‘Kuruma Prawn’ and sometimes referred to as Japanese Imperial Prawn, while it has several scientific designations, including Marsupenaeus japonicus, Penaeus japonicus, Penaeus canaliculatus, and Penaeus pulchricaudatus. See also List of Thai Animal Names. 回