L. vannamei is the most important shrimp species cultivated in the Americas and is the major species of shrimp produced in the western hemisphere. Approximately 95% or about 132,000 MT of the shrimp produced in 1998 was L. vannamei. In 2001, world production of L. vannameiL. vannamei at 316,000 MT in 2002 (Rosenberry, 2003).