A new tenant, the brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus), is added to the long list of invasive species in the Ebro delta and the river, with additions in the last twenty years such as the zebra mussel, the apple snail and the blue crab. It is an edible crustacean native to Mexico and the United States that has begun to frequent the Ebrense coast. Several months ago, fishermen in the port of Ràpita (Baix Ebre) began to capture brown shrimp, competition for the highly prized native species of shrimp.
It is still early to know if the new invader will multiply its presence next to the Ebro delta and become a real threat to the native species of crustaceans. This is always the main risk when faced with the emergence of a foreign species.
It can be confused with the white shrimp and can be commercialized, as it is included in the list of species to be exploited by fishing fleets in Europe. Its price is also good, around 16 euros per kilo, so from the start it has been well received by the renowned Ebrense fishermen.
About fifteen years ago its presence was detected for the first time in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Turkey. The brown shrimp was also detected testimonially on the coast of Barcelona and Valencia, but the conditions of the Ebro delta have been conducive to its reproduction. The rise in Mediterranean water temperature is one of the key factors in attracting exotic species.
