Fisherman reels in a 45cm prawn

A 45cm crustacean caught from a pier in the US is forcing a rethink of the word shrimp.

The giant prawn was reeled in by a fisherman in Fort Pierce, north of Miami, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on Facebook.

"(The fisherman) said the massive thing was about 18 inches long and striking its own tail, so he grabbed it by its back like a lobster," the post read.

"Scientists think it may be some type of mantis shrimp (which are actually not related to shrimp, but are a type of crustacean called a stomatopod), and continue to review the photos to identify the exact species."

Even if the creature is a mantis shrimp, it would be well beyond current records, size-wise.

Mantis shrimp typically grow up to 30cm in length, and have been recorded in exceptional cases at 38cm, well below this creature's measurements.

Mantis shrimp are eaten in Japan, China, Vietnam and parts of the Mediterranean, but you would need a pretty big barbecue to fit this leviathan.