Introduction
The Caridea are a highly successful group of decapod crustaceans comprising over 400 genera and approximately 4000 species (extant taxa). Although widely known as "true shrimps", many of the larger species are also commonly referred to as prawns, highlighting the lack of any clear taxonomic distinction between the terms, "shrimp" and "prawn". Despite a general resemblance to the Dendrobranchiata (commercial prawns and allies), the two groups are not closely related and differ significantly in morphology and life history.
Diagnosis
Body elongate, often subcylindrical and slightly compressed laterally, abdomen muscular and well developed, laterally with second segment overlapping first and third segments; antennular and antennal flagellae long; third maxillipeds with fewer than seven free segments; gills phyllobranchiate; chelae present on first or second pereiopods or both, absent on third pereiopods; eggs incubated on pleopods of abdomen.
