Abstract: Conditions for extracting astaxanthin from Vannamei shrimps were studied.Decalcification with an acid soak, utilization of ethanol as the extraction solvent, and repeated extraction were found to be desirable for the operation.A single factor and orthogonal array experiment was conducted to further optimize that process which yielded the following processing conditions:solid:liquid ratio of 1∶10, pH at 3.0, extraction duration of 3.5h, and temperature at 60℃.The resultant rate of astaxanthin extracted from the shrimps was 271.3μg·g-1.This study provided a basis for future development of the shrimp byproduct utilization technology.