The peacock-tail shrimp Ancylocaris brevicarpalis Schenkel, 1902, is an obligate symbiont of sea anemones and well known for its remarkable colouration. Yet, very little information is available about its population structure and life-history traits, including reproductive parameters (fecundity, embryo volume and reproductive output). A total of 574 individuals were collected from the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India between February 2017 and July 2018, out of which 214 were males (37.28%), 355 were females (61.84%), and 5 (0.87%) juveniles. The highest percentage of individuals were observed in the post-monsoon season (38.10%) followed by monsoon (34.85%), pre-monsoon (15.02%), and summer seasons (12.01%). The overall sex ratio was skewed towards female individuals (0.55 male: 1 female). Fecundity was higher in females carrying early-stage embryos and embryo volume did increase, but not statistically significantly from early to late stages. The reproductive output was negatively allometric to the mean female body weight. The present study provides first-of-its-kind information on the population as well as individual-level reproductive characteristics of A. brevicarpalis.

The present study describes the morphological changes of the mouthparts and foregut of the freshwater prawn M. acanthurus that occur during the development of the larvae and first juvenile. The results indicate that the zoeae I have mouthparts with reduced setae and a structureless foregut that indicates obligatory lecithotrophic behaviour. There is an increase in the number of setae in these structures between the zoea II and the juvenile stage, indicating the adaptation of the organism for feeding. More complex structural alterations were observed in the first juvenile, which acquires benthonic habits, which ensure the capture and ingestion of a diversity of feeding resources found in the substrate.

We report for the first time the association of some caridean shrimps with the octocoral Carijoa riisei (Cnidaria: Clavulariidae) and the sponge Dragmacidon reticulatum (Porifera: Axinellidae), in estuaries from north-eastern Brazil. The alpheid shrimp Synalpheus apioceros, Synalpheus fritzmuelleri, Alpheus formosus, Alpheus carlae and the palaemonid Cuapetes americanus are reported in association with Carijoa riisei. The latter two species, plus the alpheid Alpheus buckupi, are recorded in association with D. reticulatum.

The species diversity of pontoniine shrimps (Decapoda: Palaemonidae: Pontoniinae) previously recorded in the vicinity of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, were compared with new records obtained during a recent three-week expedition as part of the CReefs Project, a field project of the Census of Marine Life. Few previous investigations at this location had discovered 18 species of pontoniine shrimps distributed among 12 genera. In contrast, relatively little effort, approximately 35 hours sampling (40 dives), was required to increase this list more than twice adding 20 new species records from 15 pontoniine genera for the locality including 6 species and 1 genus reported from Australian waters for the first time and 1 genus and 4 species new to science. This large increase in species was enumerated with little additional effort and the relatively low total species diversity of these shrimps known from this location compared to species known from the southern GBR (e.g. Heron Island), where overall diversity is expected to be less, strongly indicates that the enumeration of these shrimps from the northern GBR is far from complete.

Larvae of the African River Prawn Macrobrachium vollenhovenii, indigenous to West Africa, were reared at various salinities (0-32‰). A salinity range of 16-24‰ was found most suitable with highest survival and growth, and lowest number and duration of instars. Freshwater was lethal already to zoea I - larvae. A mass culture experiment demonstrated the aquaculture potential of this Macrobrachium species. Larval rearing to postlarvae was possible applying the same methods as for M. rosenbergii. Detailed descriptions of rearing techniques are provided.