Prawn is a
common name, used particularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland and
Commonwealth nations, for large swimming
crustaceans or
shrimp,
especially those with commercial significance in the seafood industry.
Shrimp that fall in this category often belong to the suborder
Dendrobranchiata. In North America, the term is used less frequently, typically for freshwater shrimp.
In the United Kingdom
prawn is more common on menus than
shrimp, while the opposite is the case in the United States. The term
prawn also loosely describes any large shrimp, especially those that come 15 (or fewer) to the pound (such as
king prawns or
jumbo shrimp).
