Western King Prawn

Melicertus latisulcatus

Melicertus latisulcatus - Western King Prawn
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Size: 20 cm

Distribution: SA coastal and gulf waters east of the Coorong

Habitat: Sandy bottoms

Depth: Subtidal to 10+ metres

Melicertus latisulcatus - Western King Prawn
Melicertus latisulcatus - Western King Prawn

An important commercial species, the Western King Prawn is not usually encountered during the day, where it remains buried in sandy areas. At night, it emerges to feed, and can commonly be seen in the shallows. It has a largely transparent body, with white bars and blue tail margins. Its colouration can distinguish it from most similar species, and although the cleaner shrimp (family Palaemonidae) are also transparent, they don't grow anywhere near as large as the King Prawn.