''Penaeus'' is a genus of
prawns
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 ...
, including the
giant tiger prawn
''Penaeus monodon'', commonly known as the giant tiger prawn, Asian tiger shrimp, black tiger shrimp, and other names, is a marine crustacean that is widely reared for food.
Taxonomy
''Penaeus monodon'' was first described by Johan Christian ...
(''P. monodon''), the most important species of
farmed crustacean worldwide. The genus has been reorganised following a proposition of
Pérez Farfante and Kensley based on
morphological differences, in particular the genital characteristics of these animals,
although this revision has not been universally accepted.
Following the revision, many species formerly in the genus ''Penaeus'' have been reassigned to new genera in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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, ...
: ''
Farfantepenaeus
''Farfantepenaeus'' is a genus of prawns in the family Penaeidae. Its eight species were formerly included in the genus ''Penaeus''. It was first published as a genus name in 1972 by Rudolf N. Burukovsky, but without the necessary designation o ...
'', ''
Fenneropenaeus'', ''
Litopenaeus
''Litopenaeus'' is a genus of prawns, formerly included in the genus ''Penaeus''. It contains five species:
*''Litopenaeus occidentalis'' (Streets, 1871)
*''Litopenaeus schmitti'' (Burkenroad, 1936)
*''Litopenaeus setiferus'' (Linnaeus, 1767)
*'' ...
'' and ''
Marsupenaeus
''Marsupenaeus'' is a monotypic genus of prawn. It contains a single species, ''Marsupenaeus japonicus'', known as the kuruma shrimp, kuruma prawn, or Japanese tiger prawn. It occurs naturally in bays and seas of the Indo-West Pacific, but has a ...
''.
The following table gives an overview:
A few more species that are sometimes given as ''Penaeus'' spp. are actually assigned to the genus ''
Melicertus
''Melicertus'' is a genus of "king" prawns, comprising eight species which were previously classified as members of the genus ''Penaeus'':
*''Melicertus canaliculatus'' (Olivier, 1811) - witch prawn
*''Melicertus hathor'' (Burkenroad, 1959)
*'' ...
'':
References
External links
*
List of species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3011709
Crustacean genera
Penaeidae
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius