
Prawn is a
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...
for small aquatic
crustaceans with an
exoskeleton
An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the internal organs, in contrast to an internal endoskeleton (e.g. human skeleton, that ...
and ten legs (members of the order of
decapods), some of which are edible.
The term ''prawn''
[Mortenson, Philip B (2010]
''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature's most confusing terms''
Pages 106–109, John Wiley & Sons. . is used particularly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and
Commonwealth nations, for large swimming crustaceans or
shrimp, especially those with commercial significance in the
fishing industry. Shrimp in this category often belong to the suborder
Dendrobranchiata. In North America, the term is used less frequently, typically for freshwater shrimp. The terms ''shrimp'' and ''prawn'' themselves lack scientific standing. Over the years, the way they are used has changed, and in contemporary usage, the terms are almost interchangeable.
''Shrimp'' vs. ''prawn''
Regional distinctions

The terms shrimp and prawn originated in Britain. In the use of common names for species, shrimp is applied to smaller species, particularly species that are
dorsoventrally depressed (wider than deep) with a shorter
rostrum. It is the only term used for species in the family
Crangonidae, such as the common shrimp or brown shrimp, ''
Crangon crangon''. Prawn is never applied to very small species. It is applied to most of the larger forms, particularly species that are
laterally compressed (deeper than wide) and have a long rostrum. However, the terms are not used consistently. For example, some authors refer to ''
Pandalus montagui'' as an Aesop shrimp, while others refer to it as an Aesop prawn.
[Holthuis, L. B. (1980) tp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/ac477e/ac477e02.pdf ''Shrimps and prawns of the world''Volume I of the FAO species catalogue, Fisheries Synopsis No.125, Rome. .]
Commonwealth countries, and Ireland, tend to follow British usage. Some exceptions occur in Australia, where some authors refer to small species of the
Palaemonidae as prawns and call the
Alpheidae pistol shrimp. Other Australian authors have given the name
banded coral shrimp to the prawn-like ''
Stenopus hispidus'' and listed "the
Processidae and
Atyidae as shrimps, the
Hippolytidae,
Alpheidae,
Pandalidae and
Campylonotoidea as prawns".
New Zealand broadly follows British usage. A rule of thumb given by some New Zealand authors states: "In common usage, shrimp are small, some three inches or less in length, taken for food by netting, usually from shallow water. Prawn are larger, up to 12 inches long, taken by trapping and trawling."
[Richardson LR and Yaldwyn JC (1958]
A Guide to the Natant Decapod Crustacea (Shrimps and Prawns) of New Zealand
''Tuatara'', 7 (1). In Canada, the terms are often used interchangeably as in New Zealand (larger species are prawns, and smaller are often shrimp), but regional variations exist. South Africa and the former British colonies in Asia also seem to follow British usage generally.
Shrimp is the more general term in the United States.
The term prawn is less commonly used in the United States, being applied mainly to larger shrimp and those living in freshwater.
See also
*
Shrimp and prawn as food
References
Further reading
* Bauer, Raymond T. 200
"Remarkable Shrimps: Adaptations and Natural History of the Carideans"University of Oklahoma Press. .
* De Grave, S., Cai, Y. & Anker, A. (2008
"Global diversity of shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) in freshwater"''Hydrobiologia'', 595 : 287–293.
*
* Fransen, C. H. J. M. & De Grave, S. (2009
"Evolution and radiation of shrimp-like decapods: an overview"In: Martin J.W., Crandall K.A., Felder D.L. (eds.), ''Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics''. CRC Press, pp. 246–259.
* Holthuis, L. B. (1980
Volume I of the FAO species catalogue, Fisheries synopsis 125, Rome. .
* Kaplan, Eugene H. (2010
''Sensuous Seas: Tales of a Marine Biologist''Princeton University Press. .
* Meyer, R., Lochner, S. & Melzer, R. R. (2009
Decapoda – Crabs, Shrimps & Lobsters pp. 623–670 In: Häussermann, V. and Förster, G. (eds) ''Marine Benthic Fauna of Chilean Patagonia: Illustrated Identification Guide'', Nature in Focus. .
* Poore, Gary (2004
''Marine Decapod Crustacea of Southern Australia: A Guide to Identification' Csiro Publishing. .
*
Fearnley-Whittingstall, H. & Fisher, N. (2007
''The River Cottage Fish Book''Page 541–543, Bloomsbury Publishing. .
*
Roberts, Callum (2009
''The unnatural history of the sea''Island Press. .
* Rudloe, Jack and Rudloe, Anne (2009
''Shrimp: The Endless Quest for Pink Gold''FT Press. .
* Ruppert, E. E., Fox, R. S. & Barnes, R. D. (2004
''Invertebrate zoology: A functional evolutionary approach''7th edition, Thomson-Brooks/Cole. .
*
External links
Shrimp versus prawnshrimp, lobster, crab
ngrams
*
Shrimp versus prawns
– YouTube
{{edible crustaceans
Animal-based seafood
Commercial crustaceans
Decapods
Edible crustaceans
Arthropod common names