Macrobrachium carcinus

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 prawn, 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
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Caridea
Family:	Palaemonidae
Genus:	Macrobrachium
Species:	M. carcinus
Binomial name
Macrobrachium carcinus (Linnaeus, 1758)[2]
Synonyms[2]
Cancer (Astacus) jamaicensis Herbst, 1792 Cancer carcinus Linnaeus, 1758 Palaemon aztecus de Saussure, 1857 Palaemon brachydactylus Wiegmann, 1836 Palaemon carcinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Palaemon laminatus von Martens, 1869 Palaemon montezumae de Saussure, 1857 Palaemon ornatus Torralbas, 1917 Palemon brevicarpus De Haan, 1849 Palemon punctatus Randall, 1840 Periclimenes portoricensis Schmitt, 1933

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]