General Review on the Penaeus sensu lato (Decapoda: Penaeidae) of Taiwan, with Some Notes on the Geographical Distribution and the Changes of Scientific Names

Abstract

In Taiwan, as in most other countries of the Indo - West Pacific Region, the most common and commercially important prawns found in the market are those belonging to the genus Penaeus sensu lato of the family Penaeidae. These are all marine species taken from the estuaries and shallow waters in the sea or grown in ponds from the early larval stage to marketable size. The taxonomic status and identification of the genus from Taiwanese waters has been studied by Maki and Tsuchiya (1923), Chang (1965), Lee and Yu (1977), and Yu and Chan (1986). In present study, the species are added to 13, with 4 introduced species included. A comprehensive key and diagnoses to each species are presented. The geographical and vertical distribution are also discussed. The authors followed the taxonomic ranks proposed by Pérez-Farfante and Kensley (1997), thus there are five genera (Fenneropenaeus, Litopenaeus, Marsupenaeus, Melicertus, Penaeus) and 13 species occurred in Taiwanese waters.