Common prawn (Palaemon serratus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Arthropoda · Class: Malacostraca · Order: Decapoda · Family: Palaemonidae · Genus: Palaemon.

Accepted name: Palaemon serratus · Authority: (Pennant, 1777) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 107616.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Astacus serratus Pennant, 1777; Cancer captivus Nardo, 1847; Leander latreillianus Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander latreillianus f. gigantea Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander latreillianus f. transitans Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander latreillianus f. typica Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander latreillianus var. aberrans Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander latreillianus var. intermedia Czerniavsky, 1884; Leander serratus (Pennant, 1777); Melicerta triliana Risso, 1816; Palaemon rostratus Gimenez, 1922; Palemon oratelli Monod, 1931; Palemon serratus (Pennant, 1777); Palemon treillianus (Risso, 1816).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=107616 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Palaemon serratus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 11 cm · Depth range: 0–40 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial.

SeaLifeBase notes: Inhabits rocky and muddy bottoms in shallow waters to depths of about 40 m. Omnivorous, feeding on seaweeds and small crustaceans (Ref. 434).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 24520) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Palaemon-serratus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

13,659 georeferenced occurrence records for Palaemon serratus are published through GBIF from 26 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 118 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 155 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (3,946); Belgium (2,888); France (1,778); Portugal (1,327); Spain (1,249).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2224987) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2224987&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=107616 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Individuals live for 3–5 years in groups in rocky crevices at depths of up to 40 m. Females grow faster than males, and the population is highly seasonal, with a pronounced peak in the autumn. They are preyed upon by a variety of fish, including species of Mullidae, Moronidae, Sparidae and Batrachoididae.

P. serratus can sometimes be found with a prominent bulge in its carapace over its gills. This is caused by the presence of an isopod parasite, such as Bopyrus squillarum.

Palaemon serratus may be distinguished from other species of shrimp by the rostrum, which curves upwards, is bifurcated at the tip and has 6–7 teeth along its upper edge, and 4–5 teeth on the lower edge. Other species may have a slightly curved rostrum, but then the teeth on its dorsal surface continue into the distal third, which is untoothed in P. serratus. P. serratus is pinkish brown, with reddish patterns, and is typically 100 mm long, making it the largest of the native shrimp and prawns around the British Isles.

Palaemon serratus is one of the few invertebrates to have its hearing studied in detail; it is sensitive to frequencies between 100 Hz and 3 kHz, with an acuity similar to that of generalist fish. While the hearing range of a P. serratus individual changes as it grows, all are capable of hearing tones at 500 Hz.

A small commercial fishery exists for P. serratus on the west coast of Great Britain, chiefly in West Wales (Cemaes Head to the Llŷn Peninsula), but extending increasingly far north to include parts of Scotland. In Ireland, fishing for P. serratus began at Baltimore, County Cork in the 1970s and subsequently expanded. A peak landing of 548 t was recorded in 1999, and four counties account for over 90% of the catch — Galway, Kerry, Cork and Waterford. There is now concern that the current levels of exploitation may represent overfishing, and measures are being considered to limit the catch, such as a minimum landing size.

Source: Wikipedia: Palaemon serratus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaemon_serratus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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