Effect of different concentrations of hypotaurine (HTU) on melanosis and quality of shrimps during 10 d storage in ice were studied. During refrigeration, the total plate count and total volatile basic nitrogen of shrimps treated with 20 g/L HTU were the lowest, and the hardness and microstructure were the best. Moreover, the score of melanoses, pH and total bile acid of shrimps treated with 20 g/L HTU were also low. Sensory evaluation showed that HTU treatment could make the shelf life of shrimps 3−4 days longer compared with the control. Based on the above physical and chemical indexes, 20 g/L HTU showed great potential as a safe inhibitor in the treatment of shrimps’ melanosis.