Prawn

Dendrobranchiata is a suborder of decapod crustaceans, and contains shrimp and prawn.

Dendrobranchiata are commercially fished and are used for cooking. The difference between prawns and shrimp is usually that prawns are larger than shrimps. Prawns are crustaceans similar in appearance to shrimps, but they can be distinguished by the gill structure which branches out in prawns but not in shrimps. Prawns are also related to crabs and lobsters. Prawns have two pairs of antennae.

Prawns are found in calmer waters were the they can nest in water plants to lay their eggs. Like shrimps, prawns tend to prefer warmer waters in the tropics but some species of prawn are found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Prawns eat by filtering nutritious particles out of the water flowing around the prawn. Therefore, prawns are found near rocks or close to the sea floor.

Prawns are a common source of food for humans around the world, particularly in areas where the prawn exists naturally such as South-East Asia.

Category:Decapods