Macrobrachium carcinus
Species of crustacean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Macrobrachium carcinus is a species of fresh water shrimp known as the big claw river shrimp. It is native to streams, rivers and creeks from Florida to southern Brazil.[1][3] It is the largest known species of Neotropical freshwater shrimp, growing up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and weighing as much as 850 grams (30 oz),[4] although even larger specimens have been reported.[5] It is an important species for commercial fishing in the Sao Francisco River basin, where it is known by the local name of pitu.[6] M. carcinus is omnivorous, with a diet consisting of molluscs, small fish, algae, leaf litter and insects.[7]
| Macrobrachium carcinus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Palaemonidae |
| Genus: | Macrobrachium |
| Species: | M. carcinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Macrobrachium carcinus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Macrobrachium carcinus has a tan or yellow body with dark brown stripes. Its chelae are unusually long and thin, to facilitate foraging for food in small crevices,[7] and may be blue or green in color.[8]
