A novel thermostable protease was purified from Penaeus vannamei from Persian Gulf to homogeneity level using ammonium sulfate precipitation and anion-exchange chromatography. The purified protease showed a single band on native and SDS-PAGE with a molecular weight of 24kDa on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme showed the broad highest catalytic activity for hydrolysis of the substrate with maximal activity at pH 7 and 80°C. Activity of the enzyme was inhibited by Hg(2+), Zn(2+) Co(2+) and Cu(2+), while protease activity was increased in the presence of Fe(2+) and Mn(2+) by factors of 173% and 102%, respectively. Enzyme shows a broad substrate specificity and hydrolyzes both natural and synthetic substrates. Based on the Michaelis-Menten plots, the Km with casein as substrate was 16.8μM and Vmax was 82.6μM/min. The enzyme, derived from L. vannamei, possesses unique characteristics and could be used in various industrial and biotechnological applications.