Croatian fishermen have reeled in the largest shrimp ever seen in the Adriatic Sea. This remarkable catch measures an astonishing 25 cm in length. The scientific community is buzzing with excitement over this extraordinary find.

Identification of the Species

Expert Pero Ugarković, affiliated with the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split, has confirmed that this colossal shrimp belongs to the Penaeus aztecus species, commonly known as the American shrimp. This species has been previously documented in Croatian waters, making this recent catch a remarkable yet not entirely unexpected occurrence.

Scientific Inquiry and Publication

Ugarković, in collaboration with his colleague Fabio Crocetto, wasted no time in documenting this significant discovery. They published a comprehensive scientific paper detailing the characteristics and occurrence of the American shrimp species in the Adriatic Sea. The paper sheds light on the methods of capture, revealing that most specimens were collected through trawling on muddy substrates at depths ranging from 50 to 200 meters.

While the presence of the American shrimp species in Croatian waters is now confirmed, the exact path by which it arrived remains shrouded in mystery.