Commercial Names:
Australia: Banana prawn; White prawn
Japan: Tenjikuebi; Bananaebi
Malaysia: Udang kaki merah; Udang pasir
Iran : Banana Shrimp , Brow tiger shrimp
Pakistan: Jaira; Jiaro (both names used for other species also)
Philippines: Hipon buti (name also used for other species)
Thailand: Kung chaebauy
 
Size: This prawn reaches up to 240 mm
 
Distribution: This widely distributed and important Indo-West Pacific species lives in shallow water between 10 and 45 meters on muddy bottoms. Juveniles are estuarine, adults mostly marine. The species ranges from the Persian Gulf and Pakistan through the Malay Archipelago and South China Sea to Australia, where it is found from Western Australia all the way around the north coast to northern New South Wales.

Comments: Commercially this is one of the most important species of this large region. Similar to P. indicus, the Indian white shrimp, and for commercial purposes effectively a white shrimp, the banana shrimp is most important in Australia, especially in Queens land and increasingly important in Western Australia. It is the main species raised in pond culture in Thailand and is an important catch in Malaya and the Philippines. This is a good quality shrimp with firm meat and a fine flavor. Japan imports peeled, higher count banana prawns in large quantities.