Animal Profiles
Crustaceans

Prawn

Decapoda

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Prawns include many decapod crustaceans. This account follows the giant river prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, as treated in the cited FAO aquaculture profile.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the representative described in this account.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the representative described in this account.

This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0 · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Giant river prawns inhabit tropical freshwater connected to brackish estuaries.
Habitat
Rivers and lakes, Coast
Diet
Omnivore
Food
Adults eat both plant and animal material.

Classification

Common name
Prawn
Browse group
Crustaceans
Scientific name or taxon
Decapoda
Taxon rank
order
Order
Decapoda
Source classification
Malacostraca

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Large males can have blue claws.
  • Adults are omnivores.
  • Larvae require brackish water.

Habitat and range

Giant river prawns inhabit tropical freshwater connected to brackish estuaries. The FAO source uses a historical species treatment and also describes farmed populations beyond the original range.

Appearance and adaptations

A long rostrum projects from the head, and large males may develop exceptionally elongated blue claws. Long antennae and stalked eyes explore the surroundings.

Diet and behaviour

Adults eat both plant and animal material. Females release larvae in brackish water, while later stages move towards a bottom-dwelling freshwater life.

Sources

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