Differences between Rock Shrimp & Tiger Shrimp

Rock shrimp are generally wild-caught from United States waters of the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico; specifically, they are often taken from waters near North Carolina, Texas and Florida. Tiger shrimp are fished or farmed in Asian areas, mainly in the Ca Mau Province of southern Vietnam as well as other regions of Southeast Asia. Tiger shrimp are classified as warm-water shrimp, the most commonly found in markets, and rock shrimp are considered deep-water shrimp.

Many organizations keep track of environmental impact, health concerns, ecosystem balance and other factors associated with fishing or farming seafood. For example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA has ratings like "Best Choice," "Good Alternative," "Avoid" and others. They rate tiger shrimp as a "Best Choice" because they are abundant, well managed and harvested in an environmentally friendly manner. Rock shrimp are rated a "Good Alternative" because some concerns do exist about health or habitat relating to harvesting practices.

Rock shrimp are a relatively large species, and their tails are sometimes even mistaken for small lobster tails. They are named for their rock-hard shells, which are so difficult to remove that it takes a special machine to break through them. Rock shrimp have a coloring similar to that of lobster, whereas tiger shrimp usually have bluish-gray or black stripes when raw. When cooked, tiger shrimp shells turn red and their meat turns white and red.

Rock shrimp are often mistaken for lobster not only because of appearance, but because of taste. Indeed, rock shrimp are sometimes referred to as the "little shrimp with a big lobster taste” because of their sweet, chewy consistency. When cooked, rock shrimp meat turns red and white. Tiger shrimp meat turns similar colors, but is milder in taste. Tiger shrimp shrink when cooked, so buy a little more than you think you'll need when gauging amounts.