Systematic Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
Family: Penaeidae
Genus: Penaeus
Species: Penaeus monodon
(Fabricius, 1798)
Common name: Grass prawn
Chinese name: 鬼蝦, 草對蝦

Rostrum extending beyond distal margin of antennular peduncle, with 2-6 dorsal teeth and 1-4 ventral teeth. Post-rostral carina with 3 teeth and extending towards posterior carapace. Carapace with antennal and hepatic spines but without orbital spine. Adrostral groove not deep and ending before reaching or below first post-rostral tooth. Upper and lower antennular flagella subequal. Hepatic groove parallel with dorsal margin of carapace. Expods absent on the fifth pereiopod. Dorsal carina present from 4 to 6 abdominal somites. Telson with median groove but without lateral spines. Colour: Body green-brown to dark green, abdomen with mud-yellow and black-brown cross bands. Antero-lateral surface of protopodites at pleopods bright blue, whereas postero-lateral surface bright yellow.

Found at 110 m depth of sandy and muddy bottom.

Maximum length 350 mm, commonly 120-200 mm.

Eastern Africa to Pakistan, Malay Archipelgo, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.