Pleoticus muelleri, langostino
Argentine red shrimp wholesale: L1, L2, L3 HOSO and HLSO tails
Wild-caught Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri), frozen at sea or land frozen in Patagonia. Send your count, presentation and volume and we match you with Argentine processors that can quote it.
Argentine red shrimp at a glance
| Scientific name | Pleoticus muelleri |
|---|---|
| Trade names | Argentine red shrimp, Patagonian red shrimp; langostino in Argentina |
| Catch area | FAO Major Fishing Area 41, Southwest Atlantic. The offshore fishery operates mainly between 42 and 48 degrees South. |
| Fishing method | Bottom trawl |
| Offshore season | About March/April to October/November, peak June to October. Set by Argentine authorities each year. |
| Fleets | Offshore freezer and chilling vessels; onshore artisanal fleet landing fresh shrimp year round |
| Landing ports | Puerto Madryn (mainly sea-frozen), Rawson, Comodoro Rivadavia, Puerto Deseado (mainly fresh), Mar del Plata |
| Landings (2017) | 108,000 t sea-frozen and 119,000 t fresh (SeafoodSource) |
Sources: SeafoodSource, public fishery certification report (2026), supplier specification sheets. Full list on our sources page.
Presentations and count grades
| HOSO (head-on, shell-on, whole) | L1 10-20 pcs/kg; L2 20-30; L3 30-40; L4 40-60 |
|---|---|
| HLSO (headless, shell-on, tails) | C1 30-55 pcs/kg; C2 56-100; C3 101-150 |
| Peeled (PD, PDTO) | Peeled and deveined, tail-off or tail-on, graded per kg or per lb by each processor |
| Freezing | Frozen at sea or land frozen; block frozen or IQF |
| Common packing | 6 x 2 kg (12 kg master carton); 3 x 6 kg blocks; IQF bulk or retail bags |
Grades and packs are examples published by Argentine suppliers. Each supplier confirms its own specification in its quote.
What to include in a shrimp request
- Presentation: HOSO, HLSO, peeled tail-on or tail-off
- Count grade (for example L1, L2, C1) and whether mixed grades are acceptable
- Frozen at sea or land frozen; block or IQF
- Packing and labelling, volume in containers or metric tons, and frequency
- Incoterm (FOB, CFR or CIF), destination port and target shipment date
- Certifications or audits required by your market or customer
Argentine red shrimp FAQ
What is Argentine red shrimp?
Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) is a wild-caught shrimp from the Southwest Atlantic, also called Patagonian red shrimp and known in Argentina as langostino. It is caught by bottom trawl and sold frozen at sea or frozen on land.
What does L1, L2, L3 mean for Argentine red shrimp?
They are count grades for whole, head-on shell-on (HOSO) shrimp, in pieces per kilogram: L1 is 10-20, L2 is 20-30 (also written 21-30), L3 is 30-40 and L4 is 40-60. Headless shell-on (HLSO) tails are graded C1 (30-55), C2 (56-100) and C3 (101-150) per kilogram.
When is the Argentine red shrimp season?
The industrial offshore fishery runs roughly from March or April to October or November and peaks between June and October. Season dates are set by Argentine authorities and can change by area and year. The onshore artisanal fleet that lands fresh shrimp fishes all year round.
What is the difference between frozen at sea and land frozen Argentine shrimp?
Frozen at sea shrimp is processed, frozen and packed on board freezer vessels on trips of about two weeks, then landed ready for export, mainly in Puerto Madryn. Land frozen shrimp is landed fresh on ice, mainly in Rawson, Comodoro Rivadavia and Puerto Deseado, and processed in plants on shore.
How much Argentine red shrimp is landed?
SeafoodSource reported 108,000 tonnes of sea-frozen and 119,000 tonnes of fresh Argentine red shrimp landed in 2017. Landings vary each season.
How is Argentine red shrimp packed?
Common packs listed by suppliers are 6 x 2 kg cartons in a 12 kg master carton for HOSO and HLSO, 3 x 6 kg blocks, and IQF bulk or retail bags for peeled shrimp.
Is Argentine red shrimp available certified?
Certification depends on the fishery unit and on each processor. Tell us which certificates or audits you need and we only share your request with suppliers who say they can document them.
Tell us what you need. We find who can ship it.
Send species, presentation, grade, volume and destination port. We review the request and share it with Argentine processors that match your specification.
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