Welcome to Sea-Ex - Australian Fish and Seafood Photographs and Information

Beche De Mer
(Sea Cucumber)

Fish & Other Seafood

Angling, Boating, Fishing Info, Sailing, Diving, Boat Charters, Fishing Guides, Marinas etc. CLICK HERE

Eastern King Prawns are grooved prawns - they have a pair of parallel grooves running the length of the upper surface of the carapace.  The body is cram to yellow.   The head grooves are brown and there are short brown stripes on the sides of the tail segments.  The tips of the tailfans are blue and the walking legs are yellow.

Large king prawns are generally exported frozen, green and head-off.  Small to medium ones are sold in Australia cooked whole.

They are found along the eastern coast of Australia from Lakes Entrance in Victoria to North Reef in Queensland.  They are caught as juveniles in estuaries during spring and summer and as adults on the Continental shelf at depths of 60 to 220 metres from mid-summer through to winter.

Normally male eastern king prawns grow to a length of 19cm and weight 110g, while the females can grow to 30cm and weigh 220g.  Besides being smaller, males can be distinguished by a petasma (genital appendage) between the first pair of swimming legs.   Females have a plate-like thelycum at the base of the last pair of walking legs.

They are caught by deep sea netting, or in estuaries by a hand-held net wielded by a wading person using a bright light to attract the juveniles.  The light also reflects off their eyes, glowing red, so you can see them at night.

PRAWN RECIPES

[Main Australian Fish & Seafood Page]