Local shrimper finds foot-long tiger shrimp

A representative of the Trout River Fish Company shared a photo of a tiger shrimp they say is a foot long and weighed half a pound. It was caught Thursday in the St. Johns River.

These shrimp can be a serious nuisance to the river — it's a strange, invasive creature called the Asian Tiger Shrimp, which are two to three times the size of a typical white shrimp.

In recent years, the southeast United States has become their breeding ground.  Female Asian Tiger Shrimp lay one million eggs over their 14-month lifespan, and northeast Florida's warm, sandy bottom is an attractive home.

We reported in 2013 about this threat to local shrimp.