Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)
•Native to the Pacific Ocean
•Escaped aquaculture facilities in Texas in 1989 and South Carolina in 1991
•Collected by commercial shrimpers
Taura virus syndrome
White spot syndrome
Yellow-head virus
Pacific white shrimp have been reported as escaping shrimp farms along the Texas Gulf Coast since 1989. The greatest risk these escapees pose is the introduction of diseases. In 1995, the Taura virus from South America appeared at a hatchery in Texas where mortality was 80-90%. At the same time 2 other diseases appeared also. It is not known how the diseases got to Texas, but shipments of stock shrimp are moved globally. Another species the giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) native to SE Asia have escaped mariculture facilities in South Carolina where they were quickly collected later that same year 500 km offshore and as far south as Florida.