Metapenaeus ensis is a kind of freshwater shrimp which is bred in fresh water and cultured in seawater. Metapenaeus ensis looks like a prawn, but its shell is softer than that of prawn, and its body shape is not as big as that of prawn, generally about the size of the middle finger.

Guangdong coastal estuaries have high yield, thin body fat shell and delicious and refreshing meat. metapenaeus ensis has strict seasonal requirements, so it is not easy to salvage when the sea water is cold in winter. From the taste, metapenaeus ensis's meat is very tender, so boiled meat is the most original way to eat.

Adult shrimp can live in pure fresh water until the salinity is 35%, and the suitable water temperature is 19~32℃. Macrobrachium nipponense is omnivorous, but it prefers meat, preys on small crustaceans, cephalopods, shellfish, annelids and aquatic insects, and also feeds on plants such as organic debris and sand algae in large quantities.

Origin of metapenaeus ensis's name

The shrimps in metapenaeus ensis come from wild shrimps brought by high tide, so they don't need to be fed during this period, and there are various small creatures in mangrove beaches for shrimps to prey on. People only need to open the floodgates every half a month to release sewage, and wait for the high tide to bring in fresh seawater. This method of raising shrimp has almost no cost, and the taste of shrimp meat is basically the same as that of wild shrimp, which is very popular for a while.

/kloc-In the 1980s, the price of metapenaeus ensis in Hongkong was even close to that of grouper. In the early days, the shrimps raised in Kiwai were mainly Neopenaeus monodon, so it was regarded as the most orthodox metapenaeus ensis. Later, Penaeus penicillatus and penaeus japonicus were also called metapenaeus ensis.

However, as the primary tidal flats needed by the base enclosure are less and less, and the output is low, the competition can't compete with modern shrimp ponds, and the base enclosure has disappeared one after another. Today, there are still some bases in Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong. Shrimp is still raised in it, but it is not sold for nature education.

The above contents refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-metapenaeus ensis.