''Metapenaeus monoceros'' is a species of

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature' ...

in the family

Penaeidae Penaeidae is a family of marine crustaceans in the suborder Dendrobranchiata, which are often referred to as penaeid shrimp or penaeid prawns. The Penaeidae contain many species of economic importance, such as the tiger prawn, whiteleg shrimp, ...

. It is also known as ''speckled shrimp'', ''brown shrimp'' and ''pink shrimp'' in English, ' in French, ' in Spanish, ''koraney chingri'' or ''honye chingri'' in India, ''ginger prawn'' in South Africa and ''choodan chemmeen'' in Malayalam.

Distribution and ecology

''Metapenaeus monoceros'' is native to the

Indo-West Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

from

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

to the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

along the African coast and around India. Now it has also invaded into the eastern

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

through the Suez Canal, eliminating population of the native species ''

Melicertus kerathurus ''Melicertus kerathurus'', the striped prawn or caramote prawn is a species of tiger prawn from the family Penaeidae which occurs in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea which is an important species in commercial fisheries. It is the type ...

'' in those areas. ''Metapenaeus monoceros'' is found up to a depth of but commonly found between and . They prefer sandy or sandy mud bottoms. They live in brackish water or marine ecosystem.

Description

Adult ''M. monoceros'' are pale grey with dark brown spots giving them the name brown shrimp or speckled shrimp. Their body is covered with short hairs. They have red–orange antennae. They are medium-sized prawns with males growing up to and females growing up to . Males have a prominent curved spine on fifth pereiopod (walking leg). The maximum recorded weight is , but most individuals weigh less than .

Reproduction

''Metapenaeus monoceros'' is believed to be a continuous breeder with two major spawning seasons. These seasons were found to vary with time and location and environmental factors. In Tunisia, spawning seasons are May–June and October–November. In Egypt, May and July–October were found to be the spawning seasons. In Turkey spawning occurred between November and January. In India, December–April and August–September are the two main spawning seasons. Similarly, minimum size at

sexual maturity Sexual maturity is the capability of an organism to reproduce. In humans it might be considered synonymous with adulthood, but here puberty is the name for the process of biological sexual maturation, while adulthood is based on cultural definit ...

also varied across range and possibly with sampling seasons, with males reaching sexual maturity from in Turkey, in Tunisia, and in India and Egypt. Size at maturity for females were in India, in Turkey and in Tunisia.

Commercial importance

''Metapenaeus monoceros'' is of commercial importance throughout its range. It is important in African coastal countries, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Israel and Egypt.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3002540 Penaeidae Edible crustaceans Commercial crustaceans Crustaceans described in 1798