Three different species of shrimp are collected commercially from offshore and from the salt marsh. They are the pink shrimp, the brown shrimp, and the white shrimp. They are large, up to 10 inches in length, and have antennae that can be much longer than the body. The adults live offshore, where they spawn. The larvae migrate into the salt marsh, where they live and grow. For protection, they bury themselves in the floor of the estuary, with only their eyes and long antennae extending above the sediment. As they reach adult size, they leave the estuary and move offshore to spawn again. Most of the shrimp that are collected commercially are caught in the nets of shrimp trawlers just offshore. However, as the shrimp mature in the marsh, especially during the late summer and early fall when they reach large size, many sport fishers catch the shrimp in cast nets.
