Like most of the most valuable commercially caught species, the Dublin Bay Prawn has acquired many variations of its name over the years.

The fishermen who catch it refer to it simply as “Prawn”, the scientists who study it call it “Nephrop” after its Latin name. When its tasty tail-meat is cooked in breadcrumb it becomes “Scampi” and when sold whole in seafood restaurants it is titled “Langoustine” from the French version of its name. It is also known as Norway Lobster, due to its high abundance off that particular country’s coast. There are undoubtedly more names for it.

However you identify it, it is undoubtedly one of the tastiest foodstuffs ever discovered: who would have thought that a small orange crustacean which lives in a burrow of mud at the bottom of the ocean could be so delicious?

An average landing size for these shellfish is around 18-20cm length and 250g weight.

Once caught, the Prawn can either be packed in ice whole, to be taken abroad (known as landing “live”) or tailed, to be sold to local restaurants and cafes (known as landing “tails”).