Langoustine

The king prawn or Penaeus kerathurus is a decapod shellfish that lives on the European Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, the latter having one of the most appreciated types in the gastronomy, the king prawn from Mar Menor.

This crustacean, related to prawns and shrimps, is characterized for its long body, a developed abdomen with a semi-hard shell, a long tail and a spine or keeled and laterally compressed face. The 3 first pairs of legs end in pincers, the rest in a nail. Although there are differences between the king prawn from different habitats, their maximum length goes between 12 to 15 centimeters.

Their colour goes from brownish rosy, laterally traversed by dark lines (as all members of the tiger langoustines family, although some reflect with more intensity than others).

There are two types of king prawn, distinguished by whether or not they have lateral black lines in their body, these are the tiger and white prawns.

They are sold fresh, cooked and frozen.