Shrimps are commercially important fishery products which are locally consumed and exported. Lipids of fish and sea foods are major sources for omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which provide a number of health benefits, specially to prevent heart diseases. In the present study lipids were extracted from shrimps collected from coastal areas and from culture ponds. Fatty acid profiles were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. The highest lipid content was recorded for P. merguansis (0.88%) caught from sea off Negombo. The lowest lipid content was recorded for P. monodon (0.33%) caught from Udappuwa lagoon. Altogether nearly 28 fatty acids were detected from the shrimps and the major fatty acids recorded were palmitic (16:0), stearic, (18:0), oleic (18:ln-9), acachidonic (20:4 n-6), eicosapentaenoic (20:5 n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22; 6 n-3, DHA). M. dobsoni obtained from the sea off Negombo records the highest percentage of saturated fatty acids (39.7%) and P. monodon obtained from Negombo records the highest percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (24.63%). P. monodon collected from Udappuwa lagoon is reported to have the highest amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (46.1%) but P. indicus obtained from Negombo is reported to have the highest percentage of omega 3 (n-3) PUFAs. Generally, the fatty acid profile seems to be very similar in all species except in cultured P. monodon, which showed a different profile from others. Cultured P. monodon is reported to have a very high level of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) and a very low level of acachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) than the other species. Omega 3 PUFAs contributed nearly 74% of total PUFAs in P. merguansis (sea) and P. indicus (sea) but this value decreased to nearly 63% in P. monodon (farmed). Generally sea shrimps seem to have a higher level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in their lipids, which are the pharmaceutically important fatty acids for human health.