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Crustaceans of Zihuatanejo

SUBPHYLUM CRUSTACEA

-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.

River Prawn

Macrobrachium

Diet

  • Omnivorous, feeding on aquatic insects, insect larvae, worms, snails, algae, aquatic plants, detritus, carrion, and small fish.

  • Larger individuals may prey on tadpoles, freshwater shrimp, and other small crustaceans.

  • Forage mainly at night, using their long claws to search beneath rocks, logs, and submerged vegetation.

Range

  • The genus Macrobrachium is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

  • In the eastern Pacific, several species occur from northwestern Mexico south through Central America to South America.

  • Along the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, common native species include Macrobrachium americanum (Cauque River Prawn), M. tenellum, M. digueti, and M. occidentale.

  • These species inhabit rivers and streams that drain into the Pacific Ocean.

Habitat

  • Found in rivers, streams, creeks, estuaries, freshwater pools, and coastal lagoons with clean, well-oxygenated water.

  • Usually shelter beneath rocks, submerged logs, root masses, and aquatic vegetation.

  • Most species are amphidromous: adults live in freshwater, but females release larvae into estuaries or the ocean, where the larvae develop before migrating back upstream as juveniles.

Size

  • Depending on the species:

    • Body length: 5–30 cm (2–12 in).

    • Weight: Typically 10–300 g, although exceptionally large M. americanum can exceed 500 g (1.1 lb).

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