Penaeus is a genus of prawns, containing several commercially important edible species. The giant tiger prawn (P. monodon) is the most important species of farmed crustacean worldwide. Taxonomy In 1969, Isabel Pérez Farfante proposed four subgenera of Penaeus: Litopenaeus, Penaeus (nominate subgenus), Fenneropenaeus, and Melicertus. Rudolf N. Burukovsky proposed an additional subgenus Farfantepenaeus in 1972, spit from subgenus Penaeus; however, he did not specify a type taxon, which was corrected in 1997.
The genus was reorganised following a 1997 proposition of Pérez Farfante and Brian Frederick Kensley based on morphological differences, in particular the genital characteristics of these animals, although this revision was not universally accepted. Following the revision, many species formerly in the genus Penaeus were reassigned to new genera in the family Penaeidae: Farfantepenaeus, Fenneropenaeus, Litopenaeus, Melicertus and Marsupenaeus.
In 2023, based on molecular phylogenetic analyses, Chan proposed a reunification of Peneaus sensu lato, with reclassification into eleven subgenera. Fenneropenaeus, Litopenaeus, and Farfantepenaeus retain their scope of included species, but are returned to their original subgeneric rank. Melicertus is assessed as diverse, and split into six.
The following table gives an overview:
SubgenusEpithetSpecies Pérez Farfante and Kensley Common name(s)(Penaeus)monodonP. (P.) monodonPenaeus monodongiant tiger prawn, black tiger shrimp(Melicertus)kerathurusP. (M.) kerathurusPenaeus kerathurus , FAO.Melicertus kerathuruscaramote prawn, triple-grooved shrimp(Fenneropenaeus)chinensisP. (Fe.) chinensisFenneropenaeus chinensisfleshy prawn, Chinese white shrimp, oriental shrimporientalisP. (Fe.) orientalisindicusP. (Fe.) indicusFenneropenaeus indicusIndian prawn, redleg banana prawn,https://www.afma.gov.au/species/prawns Indian banana prawnhttps://www.afma.gov.au/species/prawnsmerguiensis P. (Fe.) merguiensis Fenneropenaeus merguiensisbanana shrimp, banana prawn, white banana prawn,https://www.afma.gov.au/species/prawns Gulf banana prawnhttps://www.afma.gov.au/species/prawnspenicillatusP. (Fe.) penicillatusFenneropenaeus penicillatusredtail prawnsilasiP. (Fe.) silasiFenneropenaeus silasi(Litopenaeus)occidentalisP. (L.) occidentalisLitopenaeus occidentaliswestern white shrimpschmittiP. (L.) schmittiLitopenaeus schmittisouthern white shrimpsetiferusP. (L.) setiferusLitopenaeus setiferusnorthern white shrimpstylirostrisP. (L.) stylirostrisLitopenaeus stylirostriswestern blue shrimp, blue shrimpvannameiP. (L.) vannameiLitopenaeus vannameiwhiteleg shrimp, Pacific white shrimp, king prawn, vannamei prawn(Marsupenaeus)japonicusP. japonicusMarsupenaeus japonicusKuruma shrimp, Kuruma prawn, Japanese tiger shrimp(Farfantepenaeus)aztecusP. (Fa.) aztecusFarfantepenaeus aztecusnorthern brown shrimpbrasiliensisP. (Fa.) brasiliensisFarfantepenaeus brasiliensisred-spotted shrimp, spotted pink shrimpbrevirostrisP. (Fa.) brevirostrisFarfantepenaeus brevirostriscrystal shrimp, pink shrimpcaliforniensisP. (Fa.) californiensisFarfantepenaeus californiensisyellowleg shrimp, brown shrimpduorarumP. (Fa.) duorarumFarfantepenaeus duorarumnorthern pink shrimpisabelae P. (Fa.) isabelaenotialisP. (Fa.) notialisFarfantepenaeus notialissouthern pink shrimppaulensisP. (Fa.) paulensisFarfantepenaeus paulensisSão Paulo shrimp, Carpas shrimpsubtilisP. (Fa.) subtilisFarfantepenaeus subtilissouthern brown shrimp(Altiopeneaus)marginatusP. (A.) marginatusMelicertus marginatusaloha prawn(Eopenaeus)esculentusP. (E.) esculentusPenaeus esculentusbrown tiger prawnsemisulcatusP. (E.) semisulcatusPenaeus semisulcatusgreen tiger prawn(Ischiopeneaus)longistylusP. (I.) longistylusMelicertus longistylusredspot king prawn, red-spotted prawn(Oleopenaeus)hathor P. (O.) hathor Penaeus hathor latisculatusP. (O.) latisculatusMelicertus latisulcatuswestern king prawnplebejusP. (O.) plebejusMelicertus plebejuseastern king prawn (Plagosopenaeus)canaliculatusP. (Pl.) canaliculatusMelicertus canaliculatuswitch shrimp, tiger shrimp
Notes
References
External links
List of species