Taxonomy of Shellfish

Unit 4 - Taxonomy of shrimps and prawns

4.3. General morphology of shrimps and prawns

• Laterally compressed; rostrum usually compressed and toothed.
• Abdomen long, longer than the carapace or head; the antennules or first pair of feelers, in most species bear a small scale or spine, the stylocerite at their bases.
• The antennal scales of the second pair of feelers, the antennae, are generally large and plate-like.
• The pereopods or legs are usually slender but in some a leg or pair of legs may be stout and some pereopods (the chelipeds) end in pincers or chelae.
• The pleopods or abdominal appendages used for swimming, well developed and except in a few species, present on all five anterior abdominal segments.