Macrobrachium amazonicum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Caridea
Family: Palaemonidae
Genus: Macrobrachium
Species:
M. amazonicum
Binomial name
Macrobrachium amazonicum
(Heller, 1861)

Macrobrachium amazonicum, also known as the Amazon river prawn, is an economically important species of palaemonid freshwater prawn. It is found throughout the tropical and subtropical areas of South America.[2]

Description

Macrobrachium amazonicum can grow to a length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and weight 30 g, with males on average larger than females.

Males occur in four distinct morphotypes. The smallest morphotype, known as translucent claw (TC) is mostly translucent, with a greenish tinge. In the second smallest, cinnamon claw (CC), the green tinge is more marked but there are several brownish spots on the claws that make them look beige. In the two largest morphotypes, named green claw 1 (GC1) and green claw 2 (GC2), the second pair of chelipedes is very large and has a moss green color. In GC2, the chelipedes are longer than the body. Similar morphotypes also occur in the giant river prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.[3]

Distribution

Macrobrachium amazonicum is found in Guayana, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It occurs in all the main eastern South American river basins, such as the Orinoco, Amazon, Araguaia-Tocantins, São Francisco, and La Plata.[2] In the São Francisco river Basin it is likely an introduced species, but has become widespread in the past decades.[4]

Economic importance

Although the production of M. amazonicum in fisheries is still small, this species accounts for most of the Brazilian freshwater prawn wild harvest. It is an important food source for many traditional Amazonian communities of the Brazilian states of Pará and Amazonas and is also consumed by the population in general.[2] In the São Francisco river, northeastern Brazil, it has been introduced probably around 1939 to serve as a food source for fish raised in local reservoirs. The impact of its introduction on native species is still unknown.[4]

References

  1. ↑ De Grave, S.; Shy, J.; Wowor, D.; Page, T. (2013). "Macrobrachium rosenbergii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T197634A2494041. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T197634A2494041.en. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Maciel, Cristiana Ramalho; Valenti, Wagner C. (2009). "Biology, fisheries and aquaculture of the Amazon River Prawn Macrobrachium amazonicum: a review". Nauplius. 17 (2): 61–79.
  3. ↑ Moraes-Riodades, Patrı́cia M.C; Valenti, Wagner C (June 2004). "Morphotypes in male Amazon River Prawns, Macrobrachium amazonicum". Aquaculture. 236 (1–4): 297–307. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2004.02.015. ISSN 0044-8486.
  4. 1 2 Santos, Lucia Vanessa Rocha; Coelho Filho, Petrônio Alves (29 January 2021). "An update of the amazon prawn (Macrobrachium amazonicum) distribution in the low course of the São Francisco river (northeast Brazil)". Neotropical Biology and Conservation. 16 (1): 105–114. doi:10.3897/neotropical.16.e58895. eISSN 2236-3777.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.