Macrobrachium handschini (Handschin's River Prawn)
Species Account
A small freshwater species endemic to Australia and southern New Guinea. Widely distributed in the Wet-Dry Tropics of northern Australia from the Daly River region, the Northern Territory to the Normanby River region, northeast Queensland. Occurs in spring-fed, perennially flowing streams and in billabongs, lagoons and waterholes in seasonal watercourses from lowlands to 300 m elevation. The rostrum is short and the lower orbit of the carapace is rounded. The second chelipeds of dominant males are highly dissimilar in size and shape, major cheliped much more developed than minor cheliped, with broad palm and short inflated carpus. Eggs large (1.5 mm) and few in number. Body length to 63 mm. — John W. Short, 2026
Image
Fully developed male from the Timika area, Papua, Indonesia, Kent Hortle, John W. Short, December 1996. Photographed by John W. Short.