FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

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Palaemonidae 967
Macrobrachium equidens (Dana, 1852)
En -Roughriverprawn;Fr - Bouqet chagrin; Sp - Camarón lija.
Maximum total length 9.8 cm (males usually larger). Inhabits lower parts of streams, river mouths,
estuaries, and brackish waters of high salinity; rarely found in pure fresh water but often in sea water
(near river mouths) to a depth of at least 30 m. Reproduce in brackish and sea water, larvae have
about 11 stages and transform into postlarvae in 43 days. A common species in the area but nowhere
abundant. Similarly to other small to medium-sized species of the genus, it is frequently found in
mixed catches of fresh-water shrimps. Since this shrimp also occurs in pure sea water, it is often
caught incidentally in penaeid fisheries. Marketed mainly live or fresh, generally sold at low prices
and consumed locally. Widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific from eastern Africa to the Ryukyu
Islands, New Caledonia, and Solomon Islands, also introduced to Nigeria.
2
1
3
antennal spine
Macrobrachium lar (Fabricius, 1798)
4
hepatic spine
5
(after Holthuis and Miguel, 1984)
En - Monkey river prawn; Fr - Bouqet singe; Sp - Camarón mono.
Maximum total length 18.1 cm (males usually much larger). Adults occur in fresh water, mainly in
upper and middle parts of rivers; able to endure short time of desiccation and occasionally observed
to crawl on land during heavy rainfall. Migrate to the river mouth or estuary for reproduction, with
juvenile stages in brackish and sometimes also in salt water. Fished throughout its range. Caught
by traps and artisanal gear. A large species, but nowhere very abundant and marketed mainly locally,
live or fresh. In the Philippines, this shrimp is not always available in the fish markets, sold at about
half the price of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Aquaculture experiments have been carried out by
many countries but were so far unsuccessful, due to the very long larval stage in this species (at
least 100 days). Widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, from eastern Africa to Ryukyu Islands
and the Marquesas Islands; probably not indigenous (i.e. introduced) in Hawaii.
antennal spine
3 1 4
5
hepatic spine
2
(after Holthuis, 1993)