ORDER DECAPODA

By shravan kumar sharma CIFE, Mumbai

Introduction
It contains

biggest crustaceans like prawns, shrimps, lobsters and crabs. This is the largest and most highly organized crustacea. It includes about 8,500 species. Head and thorax fused to form a cephalothorax The first three thoracic appendages are modified as maxilliped, and rest are pleopod, some of which may be chelates.

Bi-ramous appendages

 Pleopods are biramous. Three series of branchiae are usually present:

Podobranchiae coxae of legs. b. Arthobranchae arthoidal membranes c. Pleurobranchiae sides of thoracic walls. A statocysts usually present on the proximal segments of the antennae.
a.

Statocysts

 Decapoda is divided into two sub-orders, Natantia

(Prawns and shrimps) and Reptantia (lobsters and crabs). Sub-order Natantia a) Body laterally compressed, generally adapted for swimming. b) Carapace have well developed rostrum There are three sections in Natantia;a) Penaeidea (shrimps) b) Caridea (freshwater prawns) c) Steriopodidea

Section (Infra-order) Penaeidea

Second abdominal pleura do not overlap on first.

First three legs are chelates.

Gills are dendrobranchiate.

E.g. Penaeus, Sergestes etc.

Penaeus monodon

Section (Infra-order) Caridea

Second abdominal pleura overlap those of first

First two legs are chelates

Gill filaments are thin plate-like, arranged in two

rows on a central axis like the leaves of a book, termed phyllobranchiate. E.g. Palaemon, Macrobranchium etc.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Section (infra-order) Stenopodidea

Second abdominal pleura not over lapping those

of first. First three chelates Gills trichobranchiate, gill filaments broken into finger-like bits, appearing like the bristles of bottle-brush. E.g.- Stenopus hispidus

Stenopus hispidus

a. Trichobranchiate b. Phyllobranchiate c. Dendrobranchiate

Sub- order Reptantia

Dorso-ventrally flattened body

Rostrum short or absent

Abdomen (well-developed or reduced) with first

segment smaller than posterior ones. Thoracic legs strong with first pair usually forming large pincer like claws or chelipeds. Pleopods often reduced and not adapted for swimming. E.g. Panulirus polyphagus

Panulirus polyphagus

 This is divided into three sections (infra-order) :a) Macrura (lobsters and crayfishes) b) Anomura (hermit crabs, sand crabs)

c)

Brachyura ( true crabs, spider crabs)

Section (infra-order) Macrura

Abdomen is well-developed, Extended uropods

and telson form a broad tailfan First and third legs similar Gills numerous It includes three subsection a) Palinura (Panulirus, Thenus, Puerulus) b) Astacura (Crayfishes)

Sub-section Palinura
Rostrum small or

Sub-section Astacura
Well developed

absent Legs rarely chelates E.g. Lobsters (Panulirus, Thenus and Scyllarus)

rostrum First three legs chelates E.g. Lobsters (Homarus), Crayfish (Astacus, Cambarus)

Section (Infraorder) Anomura

Body bent beneath the thorax or asymmetrical

Few gills

E.g. Hermit crabs (Eupagurus).

Hermit crabs

Section (infra-order) Branchyura

Abdomen greatly reduced, hard, permanently

flexed under cephalothorax. Very large carapace Rostrum and uropods present First legs unusually large and chelate. Few gills E.g.- True crabs (Portunus, Carcinus, Uca) Spider crabs (Macrocheira, Libinia)

General morphology of shrimp and lobsters

 The body of prawn is segmented and covered

by a chitinous integument, the exoskeleton. Typically each segment has a ring of exoskeletal covering; the adjacent rings are being connected by, the arthroidal membrane, making feasible the movement. The dorsal region is called and the ventral is . A pair of appendages is found on the lateral side of the sternite portion. The tergite may overhang freely over the sternites, called .

 In most shrimps the sexes are separated But in the case of pandalus (a genus) the

juveniles first undergo a male phase and transformed into the female later. (pro-androus) The paired reproductive organs are situated on both sides and below the heart. The matured ovary in female extended along the entire length of the carapace the opening of the oviduct is at the base article of third pereopod. In male the sperm duct leads to the terminal ampoules and which opens out at coxa of the 5th pereopod.

Pandalus borealis

GENERAL TERMS AND MEASUREMENTS

Penaeid vs non-penaeid prawns

Non-penaeid prawns Pleurae on either side of the exoskeleton of the second abdominal segment overlap the pleural of the first and third segments. Only first two thoracic legs are chelate. Such organs for transfering and storing sperms are not present. Females carry eggs between their pleopods as a clusters Penaeid prawns Pleurae of the exoskeleton of the second abdominal segment overlap only the third segment. First three thoracic legs are chelate. Male posses petasma for transfereing sperm and female possesses thelycum for storing sperms Females lay eggs individually in waters.

Family Penaeidae
Plurae of second abdomen somite overlapping

those of first segment, 3rd leg with a chela. Last two pairs of walking legs well developed. Well developed and toothed rostrum extending to or beyond distal edge of eye. Carapace without post-orbital spine and with short cervical groove ending well below dorsal midline. 3rd and 4th pairs of Pleopods are biramous. One single well developed arthobranch on penultimate thoracic segment (hidden beneath the carapace) Rostrum have both dorsal and ventral teeth.

Penaeus indicus, H. Milne-edwards, 1837

Rostrum slender, long

with distinct double curve usually bearing 7 to 9 dorsal teeth (including those on carapace) and 3 to 6 ventral teeth. A dorstral crest extending as far as or just before epigastric tooth. Post-rostral crest extending near to posterior margin of carapace.

Penaeus merguensis De Man, 1888,

Blade of rostrum

high, broadly triangular in shape A dorstral crest and groove not reaching as far as epigastric tooth. Dorsal teeth 7-9, ventral teeth 4-6

Penaus semisulcatus De haan, 1850

Teeth on rostrum 6-7/2-

3, almost staright with a uniformly convex blade, reaching tip of antennular peduncle.

Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798

Rostrum with 7-8/2-3

teeth, usually 7/3, exceeding tip of antennular peduncle. Adrostral carina reaching almost to epigastric tooth, not beyond. Hepatic carina prominent, antennal crest prominent ending nearly middle of the hepatic crest. Ichial spine on first pereopod; no exopod on fifth leg. Telson unarmed.

Genus Metapenaeus
Carapace without lateral keels.

Rostrum toothed on dorsal margin only.

No exopod on 5th pereopods E.g. Metapenaeus affinis, Metapeneus

brevicornis, Metapenaeus dobsoni, M. monoceros etc.

Metapenaeus dobsoni (Miers 1878)

Rostrum extending a little

beyond the tip of the antennular peduncle, with 7 or 9 dorsal teeth and having a well marked double curve A marked edentate distal portion. Posterior part of rostrum without distinctly elevated crest The basal spine on the 3rd pereopod of male serrated. Branchio cardiac groove reach almost to the

Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius 1798)

Rostrum nearly

straight, uptilted, reaching neraly to, or a little beyond, the tip of the antennular peduncle Armed with dorsally 912 teeth. Post-rostral carina continued to, or almost to, the posterior border of the carapace.

Metapenaeus affinis (H. milne edwards 1837)

Upper margin of the rostrum

with 8-11 teeth. Telson with spinules, shorter than endopod of uropod. Merus of fifth pereopod with small denticles. Branchio cardiac ridge curved upwards. Upper margin of rostrum nearly straight. The fifth pleopod elongated and extend beyond the antennal squama or scale. Merus of fifth pleopod with small denticles.

Metapenaeus brevicornis (H. milne edwards 1837)

The rostrum is curved

and rarely reaches to the middle of the 2nd joint of the antennular peduncle Dorsally bearing 7 teeth.

Genus : Parapenaeopsis
Expod on 5th pereopod present; pleurobranch on 7th

thoracic somite absent Carapace with longitudinal sutures; ischial spine on 2nd pereopod absent 3rd pereopod without epipodite No distal fixed pair of spines on the telson; lateral mobile spines may be present Rostrum without ventral teeth

Parapenaeopsis stylifera (H.milne edwards, 1837)

Rostrum sigmoid with a

proximal crest bearing 7-9 with two post orbital teeth,. Adrostral carina ending about halfway between epigastric and penultimate tooth; sulcus shallow. Postrostral carina distinct almost extending to posterior border of carapace. telson with 4 pairs of lateral spines. Antennular flagella slightly longer than carapace Epipod and basal spine on the 1st and 2nd pereopod.

Family : Sergestidae
small size shrimps

rostrum very short;

last 2 pairs of pereopods shorter than anterior

legs (fifth pair much shorter) or absent. usually small sized to microscopic; body strongly compressed laterally

Genus : Acetes
Acetes indicus (Paste shrimp) The adlt size range from 1 to 4 cm. The carapace with poorly developed crest and groove. Rostrum shorter than the eye stalk, generally small. Tooth on inner margin of 3rd pereopod.

Family Palaemonidae
Pleurae of second abdominal somite overlapping

those of first and third segments. No chelae on third pareopods. Gills phyllobranchiate. No epipods on legs. Carapace cylindrical with a prominent laterally compressed rostrum carrying dorsal and ventral teeth. Most commercial important genus is Macrobranchium

Genus Macrobranchium
Branchiostegal spine absent

Hepatic spine present

Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Rostrum long, normally

reaching beyond antennal scale, slender and somewhat sigmoid distal part curved somewhat upward 11-14 dorsal and 8-10 ventral teeth. Eyes stalked, First two pairs of pereiopods chelate; each pair of chelipeds equal in size.

Macrobrachium malcomsoni
Rostrum with 10-13

dorsal teeth) and 4-7 ventral teeth reaching to about end of antennal scale, its tip slightly upcurved;. Telson gradually tapering to a sharp point

Section (Infraorder) Stenopodidea

Second abdominal pleura not over lapping those

of first. First three legs are chelate, at least one third leg heavier than the first two. Gills tribranchiate, the gill filaments broken into finger-like bits, appearing like the bristles of bottle-brush. E.g. Stenopus spp.