Whiteleg shrimp: buyer guide

Penaeus vannamei · Also published as Litopenaeus vannamei. · Also called Pacific white shrimp, vannamei

Reviewed 2026-10-24

Short answer

Whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) is usually traded as Frozen head-on (HOSO), Frozen headless (HLSO), Peeled. Best fit: Buyers who need a widely traded farmed shrimp in standard counts and forms, from head-on frozen to value-added lines.

A penaeid shrimp whose colour is normally translucent white. FAO notes a maximum size of about 23 cm, with females commonly growing faster and larger than males.

A pile of raw, head-on whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) after harvest — Photo: Sannidhishetty, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Shows the species, not a supplier's product.

General species facts, not an offer. This page describes the species and how it is usually traded. Which forms, sizes, origins and production methods a supplier can actually provide is confirmed only through a request, with documents for the exact lot.

Traded product forms: Frozen head-on (HOSO)
Frozen headless (HLSO)
Peeled
Value-added (ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat)
Size, count and grade conventions: Processing plants sort shrimp into standard export sizes, usually stated as a count per pound or per kilogram. Ask for the count range, its unit and whether it applies before or after glazing.
Processing and handling: FAO describes shrimp being washed, weighed and killed in iced water at 0–4 °C, often with a sulphite (sodium metabisulphite) added to prevent melanosis, then sorted, quickly frozen and stored at about −20 °C for export.
Storage and logistics: Shipped frozen by sea or air. Agree the product temperature, how it is recorded from loading to delivery, and the glaze and net-weight basis.
Seasonality: Not stated as a fixed season in the cited source. FAO notes partial harvests are common in intensive farms; ask each producer for its harvest calendar.
Typical applications: FAO notes a shift from plain frozen products towards value-added products for home cooking.

Strengths

Traded in many forms, from head-on frozen to value-added
Standard export size grading makes like-for-like comparison easier

Trade-offs

Sulphite use during handling may need declaring on the label in your market; ask whether it is used
Counts and glaze vary by producer, so prices are only comparable on the same basis

Best fit: Buyers who need a widely traded farmed shrimp in standard counts and forms, from head-on frozen to value-added lines.

Questions to include in your RFQ

Species and scientific name
Product form and count range, with unit and glazing basis
Freezing method (IQF or block) and glaze percentage
Sulphite or other additive use
Packing, labelling and net-weight basis
Volume per shipment, frequency and delivery window
Destination and the documents your market requires

Production method (farmed or wild), origin and any certification must be stated and documented by the supplier for your lot.

Request Whiteleg shrimp through FishMatch

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Common buyer questions

Frozen head-on (HOSO); Frozen headless (HLSO); Peeled; Value-added (ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat).

Processing plants sort shrimp into standard export sizes, usually stated as a count per pound or per kilogram. Ask for the count range, its unit and whether it applies before or after glazing.

Not from this guide. The supplier must state and document the production method, origin and any certification for your lot, and certificates should be confirmed with the issuing scheme or authority. FishMatch collects and organises those documents but does not certify products.

Related guides

Farming this species

Aquaculture planning and equipment, separate from buying the food product.

Source: FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme – Penaeus vannamei, text by Briggs, M., FAO (2006). Reviewed 2026-10-24. Some details in these fact sheets are historical; confirm current requirements with suppliers and authorities.

Every listing is an anonymous capability summary a producer, processor or exporter submitted and our team reviewed. Details are as stated by the supplier: they are not stock, price, quality or availability commitments, and FishMatch does not verify species, origin, production method or certifications. Requests go through FishMatch; buyers and suppliers are not put in direct contact. Managed seafood sourcing is free for buyers, for annual or seasonal programmes of USD 250,000 or more.

FishMatch Group and the other Global B2B Group platforms are committed to conducting their own activities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. FishMatch facilitates sourcing and RFQs; it does not manufacture, process, export or sell the listed products and does not grant regulatory approval. Requirements differ by product and by origin, destination and transit country. As buyer or importer, you remain responsible for your own import permissions, local requirements and due diligence. This notice does not change anyone's legal duties and is not legal advice. Regulation & responsibilities