''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 Penaeidae: ''
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''.
The following table gives an overview:
A few more species that are sometimes given as ''Penaeus'' spp. are actually assigned to the genus ''
Melicertus'':
References
External links
*
List of species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3011709
Crustacean genera
Penaeidae
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius
