Exopalaemon carinicauda is the most commercially important shrimp in China based on reproduction, along growing season, and ecological flexibility. However, the frequency of disease outbreaks has increased asproduction has increased, resulting in huge economic losses. E. carinicauda relies on the innate immune responseto defend against invading pathogens. The 14-3-3 family of proteins is highly conserved and present in all eukaryoticcells. The 14-3-3 proteins are involved in many cellular pathways, including those for metabolism, thecell cycle, differentiation, signaling, apoptosis, and neoplastic transformation. Based on the 14-3-3 expressed sequencetag from a hemocyte cDNA library of E. carinicauda, the full-length cDNA of 14-3-3 from E. carinicauda(named Ec14-3-3) was cloned using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. The Ec14-3-3 cDNA was2 905 bp in length and contained an open reading frame of 744 bp, encoding a mature protein of 247 amino acids,with a molecular mass of 27.95 kD and an estimated pI of 4.65. Homology analysis revealed that the Ec14-3-3amino acid sequence was highly conserved with homologs from other crustaceans, and amino acid sequence similaritywas 98% with the 14-3-3 from Penaeus monodon. Ec14-3-3 expression levels were measured in differenttissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Ec14-3-3 expression was detected in hemocytes,gill, hepatopancreas, muscle, ovary, intestine, stomach, and the eyestalk of E. carinicauda, with the highestexpression level in hemocytes. Ec14-3-3 expression was upregulated in hemocytes and the hepatopancreas afterchallenges with Vibrio anguillarum and white spot syndrome virus. These results suggest that Ec14-3-3 may playan important role in the prawn immune response.