A Study on the Zoogeography of Indian Penaeidae

Shrimps and Prawns of various kinds have certainly been a source of protein for human consumptions from very early times. Within historical times reference is made to prawn in ancient Chinese and Japanese literature. Usage of the term ‘Prawn’ and ‘Shrimp’ are somewhat confusing. In some western literature the term ‘Shrimp’ is applied for Penaeoidea and Sergestoidea, but in the east these are called ‘Prawn’. Holthuis discussed the contradiction but did not arrive at any conclusion. In the Prawn Symposium ofthe Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council held at Tokyo in 1955 it was decided thatthe word ‘Prawn’ should be applied to the Penaeids, Pandalids and Palemonids while ‘Shrimp’ to the smaller species belonging to the other families. As such in the present study the term ‘Prawn’ is used for all the species belonging to family Penaeidae. 

Among a variety of edible decapod crustaceans, prawns contribute largely to the fishery wealth of many nations. Exploitation of prawnresource from the seas around each country is playing increasingly significantrole in furthering their national economy. In recent years, in spite of some ecological hazards, the demand for prawns and prawn products has increased so much that every country is making efforts to utilize hitherto unknown but usable stocks and expansion of prawn fisheries and industries near coast line is rightly being given the maximum encouragement in the development programme of each nation. Therefore, the distribution of different species gradually extending their range of distribution and newer species were recorded throughout coastal region of each nation.