Prawn Nutrition
Australian wild prawns have naturally high levels of many nutrients which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. They are a good source of Omega 3, Phosphorous, Selenium and sometimes Iodine.
Just 30g of prawns will reach your recommended daily intake of Omega 3 – known to reduce the risk of heart disease and arthritis symptoms – but approximately 300g of chicken breast for the same Omega 3 goodness.
Take a look at the detailed nutritional information for prawn species and how they benefit your health.
Prawns are extremely low in fat and calories, yet packed with nutrition – an unexpected winner amongst protein sources
Of the popular protein options available in Australia; beef, lamb, pork, chicken, salmon – and some wild card additions kangaroo and tofu, wild prawns are a surprising winner across many nutrients when analysed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
- Lowest in total fat (per 100g): 1st place - Wild prawns. 2nd place - Kangaroo
- Highest in protein (per 100g): 1st place - Wild prawns. 2nd place - Beef
- Highest in Omega 3 fatty acids (per 100g): 1st place - Salmon. 2nd place - Wild prawns
- Highest in Iron (per 100g): 1st place - Wild school prawns. 2nd place - Kangaroo
- Highest in phosphorous (per 100g): 1st place: Wild prawns. 2nd place - Salmon
- Highest in selenium (per 100g): 1st place: Wild prawns. 2nd place - Salmon
Proteins comparisons are on a raw basis from the Nutrient Files in FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database. An average of all cuts has been calculated for beef, lamb, pork, chicken and kangaroo given that there are multiple formats available.
Australian Wild Prawn Species
There are two important questions to ask of the prawn in front of you. Is it wild and is it Australian? There are five major species of Australian wild prawns caught commercially; King, Banana, Tiger, Endeavour and School. With many more boutique species, all Australian wild prawn species have subtle differences in taste, size, texture and sweetness.
Many prawn species live between 1.5 – 3 years, hatch at sea, spend their juvenile months in shallow nutrient rich waters and return to deeper water to mate. Most species are caught at night by trawling, some species on the dark of the moon. School prawns are found in the shallows where estuarine water meets marine water. Tiger, Banana and Endeavour prawns are found on ocean floor at 16+m – Endeavours to 30m. King prawns are found off the Continental shelf in deep water below 60m.
Banana Prawns
Penaeus merguiensis
Banana Prawns are mainly caught in the Northern Prawn Fishery during a busy 8 week season leading into winter, leaving the rest of the year for stock to replenish. Bananas are also found in the tropical waters off Qld and WA.
Endeavour Prawns
Blue - Metapenaeus endeavouri
Red - Metapenaeus ensis
There are two types of Endeavour Prawn, red and blue. Endeavours are mainly found in northern waters above the Tropic of Capricorn, on both the East and West coasts.
Eastern King Prawns
Melicertus plebejus
King doesn’t refer to size, but species, so you can have small, medium and large wild king prawns. There Eastern king prawn is found on the Eastern coasts of Australia.
Western King Prawns
Melicertus latisulcatus
Similar to the Eastern king prawn, the Western king prawn is found in deeper water on the Western and Southern coasts of Australia.
Brown Tiger Prawns
Penaeus esculentus
Brown tiger prawns are found only in the tropical and subtropical waters of Australia. The tiger has distinctive stripes that become bright red when cooked.
Grooved Tiger Prawns
Penaeus semisulcatus
Compared to Brown tiger prawns, Grooved tiger prawns can also be found outside Australia. They are caught in the same Australian waters as Brown tiger prawns but are pale brown with less distinct stripes.
School Prawns
Metapenaeus macleayi
The small but sweet school prawn is found in estuaries, rivers and bays around Australia. The Hawkesbury River the Clarence River and Lakes Entrance in Vic are all popular school prawn fisheries.
Lesser Known Prawns
Red spot King, Scarlet, Royal red, Coral.
Australia is home to a range of boutique prawn species found in estuaries, bays or deep water ocean.