The Jumbo Tiger Prawn is found in local waters and is the largest prawn in the world. It can grow up to 33cm and can be easily distinguished by the light and dark stripes on its tail.
Tiger prawns from Skull Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria are the biggest you can find in Australia!
Huge Tiger King Prawns
whatever you call them, your guests will simply GASP! They'll need both hands to eat these giant prawns which can weigh up to half a pound / 220g each (and very occasionally, even more) and can get up to 10 inches long.
Tiger or king prawns, which are big and juicy, are the types most commonly sold raw, either whole in their shells, or with their heads removed (if the latter, they are called prawn tails). The North Atlantic prawns are smaller and are also sold raw, usually whole.
Whilst the size of the larger prawns may be impressive, it's not the size that always counts. Many consumers prefer medium sized prawns for peeling and eating straight out of the shell. Medium-Large prawns are good in exotic dishes. And Extra-Extra Large are fantastic to share with a few friends.
Queen Prawn™
rosenbergii has struggled to become a significant part of the rapidly growing global farmed shrimp and prawn industry. To realize its true potential, a few fundamental disadvantages must be overcome. Firstly, farming economics of this species must dramatically improve.
Generally larger than tiger prawns, king prawns are Australia's most popular prawns. They have moist, medium-firm flesh and a rich flavour.
As one of the largest prawns in the world, the giant tiger prawn, Litopenaeus monodon, or Penaeus monodon, reaches lengths of 33 cm and above. They're found in the Philippines, the US, Australia, and Southeast Asia waters.
Boasting up to 10 inches in length, these prawns are super impressive! And with a pack weight of 800g, some prawns can weigh up to 400g each, so will certainly need industrial eating irons to enjoy – or just use both hands to devour these beauties.
Banana prawns have a light, sweet flavour. Banana prawns are more commonly used in hot dishes rather than in cold salads or platters. Tiger prawns are large and flavoursome and are often the choice of top hotels and restaurants. Endeavour prawns are small and have a mild-to-strong tasty sweetness.
Websites like Prime Fish Wholesale, which say its Spanish red carabineros are "more like dwarf lobsters than shrimp," sell them for a whopping $120 per pound. So if you're craving a truly bucket list-worthy seafood experience, you'll need to shell out some major cash before you can de-shell this luxury eat.
The peacock mantis shrimp, one of hundreds of species of mantis shrimp, can swing its front appendage, or club, at speeds of 50 mph – roughly the same acceleration as a 22-caliber bullet.
Endeavour Prawns
In fact it was named Australia's best tasting prawn by the people who should know – the people who catch them at prawn industry “taste off” in 2007. Endeavours have a sweet flavour that stands up well in spicier dishes that can overpower other prawns.
Queensland's warm waters are home to the most species of Australian Prawns – the king, banana, tiger, endeavour, coral, scarlet, bay and red spot prawn, but you will find significant fisheries in NSW, South Australia and Western Australia with a boutique fishery off Lakes Entrance in Victoria.
The Eastern King Prawn is the most important commercial prawn species in New South Wales. All the big edible prawns in Australia are known as penaeid prawns and belong to the family Penaeidae.
There are two species, Eastern and Western king found, on the Eastern, Western and Southern coasts of Australia. Kings have a vibrant blue tail when raw and turn pink to orange when cooked. Kings are your classic “bucket of prawns” species, right in the sweet spot on the flavour spectrum.
The Big Prawn – West Ballina, Australia - Atlas Obscura.
Banana prawns are very popular in Australian due to their light, sweet taste. They are perfect for Asian dishes and go well with spicy flavours, which makes them ideal for Thai-style coconut curries. Good news for lovers of hot and spicy prawn dishes, Banana prawns are a sought after choice by Australian consumers.
Considered one of the healthiest foods in the world, prawns are an excellent source of complete protein, meaning it includes all nine amino acids necessary for the body to maintain health and function.
Pink Shrimp
Color: Ranging from white to gray, dark blue tail. Flavor: Mild and sweet. Pink shrimp are some of the tastiest shrimp you can find, mild and sweet without the distinctive ammonia taste some of the brown and white shrimp have.
Size: Large - 10/15 indicates that there are 10 - 15 prawns per pound. ie 22 - 33 prawns per kg. 1kg will yield about 450 grams of meat.
While large prawns are satisfying to eat, and easy to peel, they often come with a higher price tag, and our rule of thumb is the smaller the prawn, the sweeter the meat! This means that buying medium-sized prawns is a great way to achieve the best balance of size, value and taste.