Most of the marine prawns caught along the coast of India belong to penaeidae. Three genera like penaeus, metapenaeus and parapenaeopsis are commonly found to be present. The marine prawn fishery is confined to shallow coastal areas up to 40 meters deep.

Penaeus Indicus (Milne Edwards):

This is the commonest commercial species found along the India’s coast, occurring through coastal water and estuaries. It can attain maximum length up to 20 centimeters. These are 11.6% in abundance.

P.Mondom (Fabr):

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This is the largest sea prawn found in coast of India. It can attain maximum length up to 30 centimetres.

M. Dobsani (Miers):

This commonly found in brackish water and estuaries of India and is a dominant species of back water and is fished throughout the year. It can grow up to a maximum length of 11 centimeters and its life span is found to be of 3 years. These are 33.8 % in abundance.

M. Monocerous:

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This is found through the entire coast-line of India. It is also common in estuaries and brackish water lakes like Chilika. It can attain a maximum length of 17 centimeters. It is 4.4% in abundance.

Parapenaeopsis Sculptilis (Heller):

This is found in the cost of India and this is also found in some lake. The maximum length attained by this prawn is 14 centimeters.

Microbrachium carcinus (Fabr)

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This is a fresh water prawn bust migrates to brackish water for breeding. This can attain a maximum length of 30 centimeters. This prawn is highly demanded species for freezing and eventual export.

M. Malcomsoni (Milne Edwards):

This is highly migratory species generally found in Chilika Lake towards the close of monsoon and fished in large number. This can attain a maximum length of 15 centimeters.

Several species of crabs are found in the waters of India, but only a few are used as food. Some of the species of crabs are highly nutritious and as delicious as prawns. The crabs of India reach the highest degree of specialization. These are found buried among the rocks or mud in the shallow waters.

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The cephalothorax is broader than longer, flat and disc-like. Both the pairs of feelers are small. The antennules and the eyestalks are contained in sockets of the carapace.

The third maxillipeds are flat and plate-like and cover the other mouthparts. The five pairs of thoracic legs are well developed and clawed. The first legs are clealate forming the large pinching claws, the remaining legs are non-clelate but stout.

The abdomen is very short with an uncalcified, soft stemal region. It is segmented, somewhat triangular and thin. It is permanently bent under the cephalothorax fitting in to a grove in the thoracic sterna, thus remaining almost invisible in the dorsal view of the animal.

The abdomen is narrower in male but somewhat broader in female. The pleopods are greatly reduced, the male retaining only two pairs of them, which serves as copulatory organs. The female has four pairs for carrying the eggs. The uropods are usually absent. During copulation, the female lies beneath the male or in the reverse position so that their ventral surfaces are in contact.

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Pleopods of first-pair, which conduct the sperms, are inserted in to the opening of the female. The newly layed eggs form a bright orange mass, sometimes called a sponge. The young hatches in the zoaca stage, which passes through a postalauryal megalopa stage before reaching maturity.