The concentration of TL in Penaeus kerathurus muscle and cephalothorax was 1.03 ± 0.04 (75.9 ± 0.8% of which was PhL) and 2.36 ± 0.07% (45.5 ± 0.8% of which was PhL) of the wet tissue, respectively. The phosphatidylethanolamine represented 26.4 ± 0.6% (85.6% diacyl- and 14.4% alkyl-acyl- or alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of muscle and 24.7 ± 0.2% (90.7% diacyl- and 9.3% alkyl-acyl- or 1-alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of cephalothorax phospholipids while the phosphatidylcholine represented 57.1 ± 0.6% (86.9% diacyl- and 13.1% alkyl-acyl- or alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of muscle and 47.2 ± 0.4% (89.1% diacyl- and 10.9% alkyl-acyl- or 1-alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of cephalothorax phospholipids, respectively. The main fatty acids of phosphatidylethanolamine were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 ω − 9, C20:4 ω − 6, C20:5 ω − 3, C22:6 ω − 3 and of phosphatidylcholine were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 ω − 9, C20:4 ω − 6, C20:5 ω − 3. Low percentages of 2-OH C14:0 and cyclo-17:0 fatty acids were also determined. Phosphatidylethanolamine were found to contain a significantly (P < 0.05) higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to phosphatidylcholine. The ω − 3/ω − 6 ratio in muscle phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine was significantly (P < 0.05) higher to the ones of cephalothorax.