-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Crustaceans (Subphylum Crustacea)

-Typical Crustaceans (Superclass Multicrustacea)

-Malacostracans (Class Malacostraca)

-Decapods, Isopods, and Allies (Subclass Eumalacostraca)

-Decapods and Krill (Superorder Eucarida)

-Decapods (Order Decapoda)

-Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimps, and Allies (Suborder Pleocyemata)

-Caridean Shrimps (Infraorder Caridea)

-Superfamily (Palaemonoidea)

-Palaemonid Shrimps (Family Palaemonidae)

-River Prawns (Genus Macrobrachium)

Species of the freshwater prawn genus Macrobrachium are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical zones of the world. They are found in most inland freshwater areas including lakes, rivers, swamps, irrigation ditches, canals and ponds, as well as in estuarine areas. All freshwater prawns (like other crustaceans) have to regularly cast their ‘exoskeleton’ or shell in order to grow. This process is referred to as moulting and is accompanied by a sudden increase in size and weight.