About Macrobrachium carcinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Macrobrachium carcinus is a freshwater shrimp species commonly known as the big claw river shrimp. It is native to streams, rivers, and creeks that extend from Florida to southern Brazil. It is the largest known species of Neotropical freshwater shrimp, reaching a maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in) and weight up to 850 grams (30 oz), though even larger specimens have been reported. It is an important species for commercial fishing in the Sao Francisco River basin, where the local name for this species is pitu. M. carcinus is omnivorous, and its diet includes molluscs, small fish, algae, leaf litter, and insects. Macrobrachium carcinus has a tan or yellow body marked with dark brown stripes. Its chelae are unusually long and thin, an adaptation to help forage for food in small crevices, and the chelae may be blue or green in color.
