Penaeus esculentus
Encyclopedia
Penaeus esculentus is a species
of prawn
which is widely fished
for consumption around Australia
.
P. esculentus live in seagrass
beds, and reach sexual maturity
at a carapace
length of around 32 millimetres (1.3 in). Adults grow up to 155 millimetres (6.1 in) long, and resemble Penaeus monodon
, albeit smaller and browner. They live offshore at depths of up to 200 metres (656.2 ft).
n waters, being found in warm waters from central New South Wales
(near Sydney
) to Shark Bay
, Western Australia
, chiefly at depths of 16–22 m (52.5–72.2 ). There is little population structure
in the species, with only slight differentiation between regions east and west of the Pleistocene
land bridge
between Australia and New Guinea
.
are worth around A$
24 million per year. It is closely related to Penaeus monodon
, with which it can hybridise. It has the potential to be used in aquaculture
(shrimp farm
ing) since, although it grows less rapidly than P. monodon, it commands higher prices.
arrived in Australia in 1878, and began working in a marine zoology laboratory at Watsons Bay
. In 1879, he described
Penaeus esculentus in a paper in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, basing his description on material in the Macleay Museum
which had come from Port Jackson
and Port Darwin, and noting that P. esculentus is "the common edible prawn of Sydney, and Newcastle, etc.".
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
which is widely fished
Shrimp fishery
A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. .-Commercial shrimping:...
for consumption around Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Ecology
JuvenileJuvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
P. esculentus live in seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
beds, and reach sexual maturity
Sexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
at a carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
length of around 32 millimetres (1.3 in). Adults grow up to 155 millimetres (6.1 in) long, and resemble Penaeus monodon
Penaeus monodon
Penaeus monodon, the giant tiger prawn , is a marine crustacean that is widely reared for food.-Distribution:...
, albeit smaller and browner. They live offshore at depths of up to 200 metres (656.2 ft).
Distribution
P. esculentus appears to be endemic to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n waters, being found in warm waters from central New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(near Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) to Shark Bay
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is a World Heritage listed bay in Western Australia. The term may also refer to:* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham* Shark Bay Marine Park* Shark Bay , a shark exhibit at Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia* Shire of Shark Bay...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, chiefly at depths of 16–22 m (52.5–72.2 ). There is little population structure
Population structure
Population structure may refer to many aspects of population ecology:* Population stratification* Population pyramid* Age class structure* F-statistics* Population density* Population distribution* Population dynamics and population growth...
in the species, with only slight differentiation between regions east and west of the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
land bridge
Land bridge
A land bridge, in biogeography, is an isthmus or wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonise new lands...
between Australia and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.
Fisheries and aquaculture
Around 500 tonnes (492.1 LT) of brown tiger prawns are caught each year. Fisheries in the Torres StraitTorres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
are worth around A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
24 million per year. It is closely related to Penaeus monodon
Penaeus monodon
Penaeus monodon, the giant tiger prawn , is a marine crustacean that is widely reared for food.-Distribution:...
, with which it can hybridise. It has the potential to be used in aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
(shrimp farm
Shrimp farm
A shrimp farm is an aquaculture business for the cultivation of marine shrimp or prawns for human consumption. Commercial shrimp farming began in the 1970s, and production grew steeply, particularly to match the market demands of the United States, Japan and Western Europe...
ing) since, although it grows less rapidly than P. monodon, it commands higher prices.
Taxonomic history
William Aitcheson HaswellWilliam Aitcheson Haswell
William Aitcheson Haswell was a Scottish-born Australian zoologist specialising in crustaceans, winner of the 1915 Clarke Medal.-Early life:...
arrived in Australia in 1878, and began working in a marine zoology laboratory at Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay, New South Wales
Watsons Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Watsons Bay is located 11 km north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra....
. In 1879, he described
Alpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
Penaeus esculentus in a paper in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, basing his description on material in the Macleay Museum
Macleay Museum
The Macleay Museum in Sydney, Australia, is a natural history museum located on the main campus of the University of Sydney.- History :The building in which the museum is housed was built off Science Lane in 1887...
which had come from Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
and Port Darwin, and noting that P. esculentus is "the common edible prawn of Sydney, and Newcastle, etc.".