Overview
Nylon shrimp (Heterocarpus reedi) is a deep-water crustacean prized for its firm texture and sweet flavour. Antartic Seafood catches, processes and exports this species in shell-on and peeled IQF formats.
The species is part of our MSC-certified crustacean portfolio. Landing, discharge and processing are supervised by SERNAPESCA and audited under MSC chain-of-custody standards.
Manual processing preserves product integrity through cooking, peeling and IQF freezing — each step monitored as a HACCP critical control point.
Applications & formats
Food service
Peeled tail meat in bulk cartons for restaurants, hotels and catering operators.
Retail
Shell-on and peeled IQF bags for supermarket frozen seafood sections.
Aquaculture feed
By-product streams also supply our crustacean meal line.
Available formats
| Shell-on | Frozen in the shell, cooked or raw to specification. The shell protects texture during freezing and transport, and is preferred where the shell is part of the presentation. |
|---|---|
| Peeled / tail meat | Shell removed, leaving ready-to-use meat. Removes labour from the buyer's kitchen and is the usual format for ready meals and ingredient supply. |
| Tails | Tail sections separated from the body, the highest-value cut of the animal and the standard trading unit for lobster programmes. |
Freezing & cold chain
IQF — individually quick frozen — Each piece is frozen separately, so the pack pours freely and the buyer can weigh out any quantity without thawing the rest. Preferred for retail packs and portion-controlled food service.
Product is held at −18 °C or below from the freezer through cold storage, container stuffing and transit, with continuous temperature monitoring. Reefer containers are pre-cooled before loading and a temperature recorder travels with the shipment so the buyer can verify the chain on arrival.
Packing & export documentation
Glaze percentage, inner-bag format, carton weight and pallet configuration are agreed in the purchase specification before the first production run. Every shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, health certificate and certificate of origin; catch certificates and any destination-specific attestation are issued where the importing market requires them.
Every line runs under the same programmes: MSC fishery certification (MSC-F-31264) and MSC Chain of Custody (MSC-C-55732), FSSC 22000 v6, ISO 9001, a validated HACCP plan and US FDA registration. Certificate copies are released during supplier qualification.
Related reading
Cold-water crustaceans: what the Humboldt Current changes
Why cold-water crustaceans differ from warm-water farmed shrimp in texture, colour, protein and traceability — and what a buyer should verify before switching.
SpeciesNylon shrimp: a buyer's guide to Heterocarpus reedi
What nylon shrimp is, how the deep-water species behaves in processing, which formats work, and how to write a specification that survives arrival inspection.
IngredientsAstaxanthin and crustacean meal: what aquafeed buyers should ask
How crustacean meal delivers natural astaxanthin, what the proximate analysis means, and the questions to ask before specifying it in an aquafeed or pet food formulation.
FormatsShell-on or peeled: costing the crustacean format decision
How to decide between shell-on and peeled crustacean formats using cost per usable kilo, labour, waste handling and retail presentation — not headline price per kilo.
Frequently asked questions
What is nylon shrimp?
Nylon shrimp (Heterocarpus reedi) is a deep-water crustacean caught off the Chilean coast. We export it IQF in shell-on and peeled formats.
Is nylon shrimp MSC-certified?
Yes. It is part of our MSC-certified crustacean fishery and chain-of-custody programme.
Can I order custom packaging?
Yes. We offer retail bags and bulk master cartons, with private label options upon request.
Related products: Langostino · Gamba · Crustacean Meal
Quote nylon shrimp
Specify format, grade and destination. Our export team provides specifications and certification copies.