4.4. Characters distinguishing between Penaeid and Non-penaeid prawns

Unit 4 - Taxonomy of shrimps and prawns

4.4. Important characters distinguishing between Penaeid and Non-penaeid prawns

Non- Penaeid prawns

Penaeid prawns

1.

Pleura on either side of the exoskeleton of the second abdominal segment overlap the pleura of the first and third segments

Pleura on either side of the exoskeleton of the second abdominal segment overlap only the third segment

2.

Only the first two thoracic legs are chelate

The first three thoracic legs are chelate

3.

Such organs for transferring and storing are not present

Male possesses “Petasma” for transferring sperm and female possesses “thelycum” for storing the sperm

4.

Females carry eggs between their pleopods as a cluster

Females lay eggs individually in water

Most male shrimps possess an appendix masculina, a lappet borne on the endopod of the second pair of pleopods, the presence or absence of which enables us to distinguish male from female; among non-penaeid parwns such a structure is also present on the third through the fifth pleopods of both sexes.

nonp-p

Last modified: Friday, 2 September 2011, 10:53 AM