FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

910 Shrimps and Prawns
Metapenaeus ensis (De Haan, 1844)
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Metapenaeus ensis baramensis Hall, 1962; M. incisipes (Bato,
1888); M. mastersii (Haswell, 1879); M. philippinensis Motoh and Muthu, 1979 / Metapenaeus monoceros
(Fabricius, 1798).
FAO names: En - Greasyback shrimp; Fr - Crevette glissante; Sp - Camarón resbaloso.
anterior plate
Diagnostic characters: Body covered
with fine pubescence. Rostrum
armed with 8 to 11 teeth along
entire upper margin, nearly
(after Motoh and Buri, 1984)
merus of fifth leg (male)
straight and extending to about tip of antennular peduncle. Postrostral crest
low. Branchiocardiac crest generally distinct and curved, almost reaching
hepatic spine. First leg bearing a small ischial spine. In adult males, merus of
fifth leg with a basal notch followed by a long, inwardly curved spine-like
process and a row of tubercles. Petasma of males with distomedian process
very large and triangular, covering almost entire distolateral projection in
ventral view. Thelycum of females with long anterior plate; lateral plates with
posterolateral edges strongly raised and curving inward, forming a pair of
triangular projections. Telson without distinct lateral spines. Colour: body
lateral plates
thelycum
distomedian projection
petasma (ventral view)
greyish green or dark green and covered with dense dark brown dots, large adults somewhat
pinkish; eyes black-brown; antennal flagella reddish; legs generally whitish, in large adults basal segments
covered with red bands; distal part of uropods somewhat bluish with reddish brown margins.
Size: Maximum body length 18.9 cm (females) and 15.4 cm (males), commonly between 7 and 14 cm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Mainly in turbid waters down to a depth of 95 m over bottoms of mud, sandy-mud
or silt. Juveniles are found in estuaries and backwaters, sometimes also in seagrass beds, mangrove banks, mud
flats, and open channels. Caught by trawls, set nets, scoop nets, traps, and artisanal gear. Also a common
byproduct or a secondary species in prawn culture. Probably the most abundant and the most commercially
important species of the genus in the area, constituting a large part of the Metapenaeus catches and pond industry
in the Philippines (609 t and 670 t, respectively, in 1987), Singapore, Thailand (11 400 t and 2 700 t, respectively, in
1987), Indonesia (17 588 t and 13 784 t, respectively, in 1987), Viet Nam, and Malaysia. Fished commercially in
northern Australia, with a catch of about 2 400 t (together with Metapenaeus endeavouri, catches from western
Australia not included) during
the annual period of
1989/1990. Marketed mainly
fresh or frozen, also cooked
or salted and sometimes used
as bait, consumed locally and
exported.
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific
from the eastern coast of
India and Sri Lanka to Japan
and Australia.