FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

916 Shrimps and Prawns
Penaeus indicus H. Milne Edwards, 1837 PNI
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Penaeus merguiensis De Man, 1888; P. penicillatus
Alcock, 1905; P. silasi Muthu and Motoh, 1979.
FAO names: En - Indian white prawn; Fr - Crevette royale blanche (des Indes); Sp - Camarón blanco de la India.
posterior
anterior process
process
Diagnostic characters: Carapace rather smooth, lacking gastrofrontal
and hepatic crests; adrostral crest extending as far as or just before
epigastric tooth; rostrum slightly curved at tip and sigmoidal-shaped,
usually bearing 7 to 9 upper teeth (including those on carapace) and 3to
6 lower teeth; rostral crest generally slightly elevated in large specimens
including adult females (but still with crest in females slightly
higher than in males); postrostral crest extending near to posterior margin
of carapace; gastro-orbital crest distinct, extending over posterior 3/5
to 2/3 of distance between hepatic spine and orbital margin. In adult
males, third maxilliped with distal segment about as long as second
segment which bears a tuft of dense long hairs (same length as distal
distal 2
segments of
third maxilliped
(male)
lateral plates
thelycum
distomedian
projection
segment)attip.Petasma of males with distomedian projections strongly curved and overhanging distal
margin of costae. Thelycum of females formed by 2 semi-circular lateral plates, with their median margins
forming tumid lips; anterior process slightly rounded and slightly convex; posterior process elongated and
inserted between anterior part of lateral plates; both anterior and posterior processes rather distinct.
Telson lacking lateral spines. Colour: body semi-translucent, somewhat yellowish white (small
specimens) or greyish green and covered with numerous minute dark brown dots; eyes light brown
and covered with some dark brown mesh-like stripes; rostral and abdominal dorsal crests reddish brown
to dark brown; antennal flagella yellowish; antennular flagella of same colour as body and covered with
many dark spots; legs translucent and somewhat whitish, pleopods yellowish to pinkish; distal part of
uropods yellowish with red margins.
Size: Maximum body length 23 cm (females) and 18.4 cm (males), usually less than 17 cm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: On sandy and muddy bottoms, from the coastline to depths of about 90 m.
Caught by trawls, fish corrals, gill nets, beach seines, and artisanal gear. Also a suitable candidate for the prawn
pond industry. An abundant species and of commercial importance in the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia.
Also reported to be very abundant in Thailand (where it is one of the main pond cultured prawn species),
Malaysia, and Indonesia. However, as this shrimp is often confused with Penaeus silasi, its reported abundance
from Thailand to Indonesia remains uncertain. In the Philippines, it is often mixed and sold together with Penaeus
merguiensis. In northern Australia, it occurs in deeper waters (deeper than 35 m) and is sold at slightly higher
prices than P. merguiensis (together their
catches were about 3 000 t in the annual
period of 1989/1990). Marketed fresh and
frozen, consumed locally and exported.
Distribution: Widely distributed in the Indo-
West Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa
to the Red Sea, Japan, and Australia.
ventral
costa
lateral
lobe
petasma
(ventral view)